Bwala fires back: Bring questions on security, not my past

2026-03-07 - 19:47

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, on Saturday, unleashed a blistering defence, slamming critics and daring Mehdi Hasan for a rematch after their explosive Head to Head interview on Al Jazeera ignited social media fury. In a no-holds-barred press statement, Bwala dismissed the backlash as “temporary excitement” from opposition hacks lacking “vision or mission” to run Nigeria. “Selling ice cream, looking fine, and seeking praises were never part of the job,” he thundered, vowing to defend Tinubu’s administration “anywhere in the world, any day, any time.” Bwala accused Hasan’s team of ambush journalism, revealing six months of talks focused solely on grilling the government over security, economy, and corruption—never his opposition-era barbs at Tinubu. “Ethically, they should have informed me,” he charged, labelling Hasan’s “opposition research-style” quotes as “inaccurate” and “fake news.” He shrugged off his past criticisms as “all politics,” citing Trump’s cabinet filled with former foes and Tinubu’s own team of ex-detractors. Opposition sympathisers, Bwala scoffed, can’t even stomach local TV anchors yet howl over his “brave defense.” In a Hausa proverb jab—”Ga fili ga doki” (show the horse’s teeth)—he challenged them: “Go to Head to Head and defend your so-called policies.” Praising Hasan as “the best debater on the planet” while thanking supporters worldwide, Bwala demanded a Part 2: “By then, my past won’t be news. Let’s focus on our achievements.”