Bwala Fires Back: “I Never Criticised Tinubu” On Al Jazeera

According to Ireporter Online, Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, has denied ever criticising the president in the past. The denial came during his appearance on Al Jazeera’s “Head to Head” programme, hosted by Mehdi Hasan.

The episode, themed “Nigeria: ‘Renewed Hope’ or ‘Hopelessness’?”, examined Tinubu’s administration and referenced statements and clips from Bwala’s time as an opposition figure aligned with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s campaign. Hasan confronted Bwala with a 2023 remark in which he allegedly claimed that Tinubu had created a militia to influence the election, as well as past comments about suspicious cash movements into Tinubu’s residence. In each case, Bwala responded firmly, saying, “I never said that.”

Clips circulating on social media also suggested Bwala had previously claimed personal threats from Tinubu or his associates, a claim he similarly denied. He explained that his past statements were made while he was in opposition, asserting that “the job of opposition is to oppose,” and described those comments as political rhetoric no longer relevant to his current role defending the president.