• Super Admin
• 08 Mar, 2026

Daniel Bwala is, inarguably, one of Nigeria's most gifted spokespersons, regardless of the political divide he represents. His brilliance and eloquence often transcend his exploits as a legal practitioner, largely because of his mastery of issues. For years, he has been regarded as a credible voice and a delight for interviewers across national television platforms -- at least until a few days ago. His recent interview with Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera has since gone viral in Nigeria, but the reviews have been less than flattering. How Bwala eventually made it to the Al Jazeera studios may not be the real issue, considering the barrage of questions that greeted him -- questions capable of making even the most confident witness sweat in the dock. For a barrister, such moments should hardly be unfamiliar terrain. In courtrooms, unprepared witnesses and their counsel are often punished for the slightest slip. The mission of the interview appeared clear: to help launder the image of the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu -- a role Bwala has carried out creditably well on local media platforms. But this time, the Al Jazeera host came out firing from the first moment. Every question appeared well researched and backed with documentary references. It was, in effect, a communication war zone, and the interviewer was clearly not prepared to take prisoners. For the first time, it seemed Bwala did not fully anticipate what hit him. Was he underprepared, or did he assume it would be another Nigerian-style interview where a spokesperson can easily call a bluff and walk away unruffled? It is worth recalling that Bwala once spoke for candidate Bola Tinubu before the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket ended his stint with the political maverick. To be fair to him, he performed creditably while in Tinubu's camp before later crossing over to support Atiku Abubakar. Yet, whether with Tinubu or Atiku, Bwala consistently held his ground in the media space. Among the comity of political spokespersons, he often stood tall -- intelligent, disarming, and engagingly solid by almost every standard. Bwala is the kind of asset any political communication team would welcome. However, in this encounter he appeared to slip in tactic that might have neutralised the sustained tirade from Hasan and the arsenal of past statements brought against him. From the opening salvo, a seasoned spokesperson might have sensed the trap. The interviewer did not seem particularly interested in the substantive issue -- the Tinubu administration -- but rather in questioning Bwala's personal credibility. The objective appeared obvious: first undermine his integrity, then discredit whatever argument he would subsequently present. Did the strategy succeed? Many Nigerians believe it did, especially when the interview cornered Bwala to the point where he almost swore on his village shrine to defend his honour. A more strategic response could have come early in the exchange. Bwala might have simply established, from the outset, that he fully accepted responsibility for his earlier positions against Tinubu before the 2023 election. He could have stated upfront that all comments against Tinubu, were made while he served as an opposition spokesperson, and in that space of political contestation, almost everything becomes part of the battle for public persuasion. His only fundamental disagreement with Tinubu at the time, he might have clarified, was the Muslim-Muslim ticket. Beyond that, he defended the candidate vigorously while he remained on the team. But when the disagreement became irreconcilable, he simply walked away. After all, would anyone expect an opposition spokesperson to sing the praises of the political camp he was tasked to challenge? Political messaging, everywhere in the world, often blends facts, assumptions, interpretations, perceptions and sometimes exaggerations, all packaged to persuade the electorate. It is then the duty of the opposing side to defend itself. The goal is simple: weaken the opponent's narrative and convince voters to switch allegiance. With the information available at the time, Bwala could argue that he merely did the job assigned to him -- just as political actors do in other democracies. Indeed, many of the harsh claims made during campaigns -- such as those by Donald Trump against rivals like Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton -- are rarely entirely factual. Having established that context, Bwala could then have redirected the conversation to the real reason for the interview: the performance and direction of the Tinubu administration. He might have explained that his change of stance came after the election when clearer and less partisan information became available. Observing the early policy direction of the administration, he could argue, suggested sincerity of purpose. For instance, the earlier fears surrounding the Muslim-Muslim ticket appeared largely unfounded when viewed against the diversity of appointments and opportunities extended to Nigerians across religious lines. With that clarification made, the discussion could then have shifted to the substantive issues: Nigeria's socio-economic trajectory, governance reforms, and the broader prospects of Africa's largest nation. Such a response might have strategically neutralised the interviewer's line of attack. If the questioning persisted along the same line, a polite reminder that "the train has left that station" could have helped steer the interview back to the present agenda of governance and development. Handled that way, Bwala might well have seized the narrative and delivered a more commanding performance. For whatever it is worth, Daniel Bwala remains one of the most formidable voices in Nigeria's political communication space. Whether some Nigerians admire his brilliance or remain sceptical of what critics describe as an "evil genius" is a matter for the court of public opinion. But if there is ever a rematch under clearer boundaries, many would expect Bwala to return better prepared -- and perhaps reclaim the stage. Source: https://thenewsguru.ng/opinion/bwalas-head-on-head-collision-by-dave-baro-thomas/