I’ll Face Any Interviewer to Defend Tinubu — Bwala

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said he is prepared to appear before any interviewer anywhere in the world to defend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the policies of his administration.

Bwala made the declaration on Saturday in a press statement issued in response to reactions that trailed his recent interview with journalist Mehdi Hassan on the programme Head to Head.

The presidential aide said he accepted the responsibilities of his office with full awareness of the scrutiny and criticism that come with defending government policies.

“When I signed on to the privileged job granted to me by Mr President, I was well aware of its implications,” Bwala said.

“Selling ice cream, looking fine, and seeking the praises of men were never part of it. But the task of promoting and defending the President and his administration is what I do with ease and joy.

“I am prepared to appear before any interviewer, anywhere in the world, any day and at any time, to defend this government and its policies.”

Bwala said some critics of the interview lacked the courage to face tough questioning themselves, insisting that he would never dodge interviews that involve promoting and defending the administration he serves.

According to him, the invitation from the programme was initially framed around questions on security, the economy and corruption, but during the interview the anchor shifted to issues relating to his past statements.

He explained that in nearly six months of communication with the programme’s producers, there was no indication that the discussion would focus on his past political comments.

“Nowhere in our almost six months of communication did they mention that they were going to challenge my past,” he said.

“If that had been their plan, ethically and professionally, they were supposed to inform me so I could prepare my response. But that’s okay; ethically, that is on them, not on me.”

Bwala also criticised what he described as “opposition research-style journalism” during the interview, alleging that some of the quotes attributed to organisations and groups were inaccurate while others amounted to fake news.

He added that his past criticism of President Tinubu occurred when he was in the opposition and should be understood within the context of politics.

“As for what I said about President Tinubu in the past, I am glad those were things I said when I was in the opposition saddle with such zeal. It is all politics,” he said.

The presidential aide noted that political figures often move from criticism to collaboration in government, pointing out that several members of former United States President Donald Trump’s cabinet once spoke against him before later working together.

Bwala dismissed the ongoing criticism of the interview, saying many of those attacking him were opposition figures and their sympathisers.

He argued that the excitement generated by the interview would fade, insisting that critics had yet to present alternative policies or a clear path to political victory.

“Their temporary excitement over the interview has not lasted and will not last, because it does not take away their obvious problem of lack of vision and mission in conducting and managing a political party; yet they seek to manage Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, opposition figures are free to subject themselves to the same level of scrutiny.

“If they say they have alternative policies or programmes for the Nigerian people, they can as well go to Head to Head and be interrogated on that,” he added, citing the Hausa expression “Ga fili ga doki,” meaning the field is open for contest.

Bwala expressed appreciation to Nigerians and others who commended his performance in the interview, describing his defence of the government as courageous.

He also said he maintained admiration and respect for Mehdi Hassan, whom he described as one of the best debaters in the world.

The presidential aide added that he looks forward to a second part of the interview, expressing hope that future discussions would focus more on the policies and achievements of the Tinubu administration rather than his past political position.