Al Jazeera Interview: Bwala reacts, explains why defending Tinubu Is a tough job

Daniel Bwala, a media aide to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has spoken for the first time after facing criticism over his interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera.

In a statement on Saturday, Bwala admitted that defending President Tinubu is not an easy task, but said he remains committed to doing his job.

He explained that he knew the challenges involved when he accepted the role of defending the President and his administration.

According to him, the job was never about gaining praise or appearing popular, but about promoting and defending the government’s policies.

Bwala said he is always ready to appear on any television platform around the world to speak on behalf of the administration. He added that he does not believe in avoiding interviews or difficult questions about the government.

He also revealed that the programme Head to Head contacted him months earlier for the interview. According to him, the producers told him they would question him about issues such as security, the economy, and corruption.

However, he said he was not informed that the discussion would include questions about his past statements.

Bwala criticised Hasan’s style of questioning, describing it as similar to “opposition research journalism.” He claimed some of the quotes attributed to organisations during the interview were inaccurate, while others were completely false.

Speaking about his previous criticism of Tinubu before joining the government, Bwala said those comments were made when he was in the opposition and were part of normal political debate.

He noted that politics often brings former critics and opponents together. As an example, he said many members of Donald Trump’s cabinet had once criticised him before later working with him.

Bwala said the negative reactions to his interview were mostly coming from opposition members and their supporters, adding that their excitement would soon fade.

He argued that the opposition lacks clear ideas and policies to lead the country.

Despite the controversy, Bwala said he still respects Hasan, describing him as one of the best debaters in the world.

He also said he looks forward to another edition of the interview, where he hopes discussions will focus more on the achievements and policies of the Tinubu administration.