A heated exchange erupted between presidential media aide, Daniel Bwala, and Arise News anchor, Rufai Oseni, during a live morning show on Tuesday, after Oseni questioned Bwala’s decision to serve in President Bola Tinubu-led administration, despite his past criticisms of the government.
Oseni pressed Bwala on whether his political alignment was driven by convenience rather than conviction, leading the presidential aide to snap back, “Don’t ask me questions like I’m a secondary (school) student.”
Despite Oseni’s persistent questioning, Bwala maintained that his decision to serve in the current administration was guided by a “desire to contribute to national development” rather than personal interest.
“My decision to serve is based on national interest, not personal gain. People evolve, perspectives change, and governance is about making an impact,” the presidential aide argued.
The exchange quickly gained traction on social media, with netizens divided over the encounter. Some supported Oseni’s line of questioning and criticised Bwala’s reaction as dismissive and unprofessional.
X user @MezieAbi (Mezie Abia) launched a scathing attack on Bwala, comparing him to other politicians who have allegedly switched sides for personal gain.
“Daniel Bwala is a shameless man who speaks from both sides of the mouth. He’s in the league of Reno Omokri and FFK, who can even sing the devil’s praises as long as they’ll have some crumbs to feed on,” he wrote.
He further accused Bwala of hypocrisy, stating, “Daniel Bwala called Tinubu unprintable names, yet today, he’s shamelessly defending everything he once criticised.”
However, another user, @Palermo_seun (Akereyejo), took a different stance, cautioning the TV journalist to maintain professionalism.
“As a journalist, you should be objective in your questions because the goal is to inform the public about government policies. However, he barely gathers any useful information from his interviews, as he is more focused on entertaining his viewers.”
Similarly, @iwologbon (Olanrewaju Michael)argued that Oseni’s approach was unnecessary.
“The same person Bwala criticised found him worthy of appointment. Why make it sound like it’s supposed to be a death sentence to accept such a role? There are other issues to discuss,” he stated.
