Al Jazeera interview: What I said about Tinubu in the past was politics – Daniel Bwala reacts

Presidential aide Daniel Bwala has spoken for the first time following the backlash that trailed his recent interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera.

In a statement on Saturday, Bwala defended his performance during the interview and said his past criticisms of Bola Ahmed Tinubu were purely political.

According to him, he accepted his role in the administration with full awareness that defending the government publicly would attract criticism.

> “When I signed on to the privileged job granted to me by Mr. President, I was well aware of its implications. Selling ice cream, looking fine, and seeking the praises of men were never part of it,” he said.

Bwala said he is ready to appear before any interviewer anywhere in the world to defend the policies and actions of the Tinubu administration.

He also claimed that the programme Head to Head did not inform him beforehand that questions would focus on his past statements about the president.

According to him, the show had initially indicated that the interview would centre on issues such as security, the economy and corruption.

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

The presidential spokesman further criticised Hasan’s interview style, describing it as “opposition research-style journalism,” and alleged that some quotes cited during the interview were inaccurate.

Addressing criticism over his previous attacks on Tinubu before joining the administration, Bwala said such statements were made when he was in the opposition.

> “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. It is all politics,” he stated.

He also compared the situation to the United States, noting that several members of the cabinet of former U.S. President Donald Trump had previously criticised him before later serving in his government.

Despite the controversy, Bwala said he still respects Hasan, describing him as “arguably the best debater on the planet,” and hinted that a second part of the interview may be released.

“I look forward to part two of the Head to Head interview so that we can focus on our administration’s policies, programmes and achievements,” he said.