Bwala Defends Al Jazeera Interview, Criticises Mehdi Hasan’s Questioning Style

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has defended his controversial interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan, saying confronting tough questions and defending the administration is part of his official duty.

Bwala said he understood the demands of the role when he accepted the appointment from President Bola Tinubu and remains prepared to defend the government’s policies on any platform.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the presidential aide said he would never avoid interviews designed to challenge the administration.

“When I accepted the privileged role given to me by Mr President, I knew what it required. Seeking applause or trying to please people was never part of the job,” he said.

According to him, his primary responsibility is to communicate and defend the policies and actions of the government.

“The task of promoting and defending the President and his administration is one I carry out with ease and commitment. I am ready to appear before any interviewer, anywhere in the world, at any time, to defend this government and its policies,” he added.

Bwala explained that producers of the programme Head to Head on Al Jazeera had invited him to discuss issues including security, the economy and corruption.

However, he claimed the organisers did not indicate that the discussion would also focus on his past political remarks about President Tinubu.

“Throughout nearly six months of communication, there was no indication they intended to challenge my previous statements,” he said.

He described parts of the interview as resembling “opposition-style research,” alleging that some of the quotes attributed to organisations during the programme were either inaccurate or misleading.

Despite criticism surrounding the interview, Bwala said he had no regrets about past comments he made about Tinubu while he was a member of the opposition, noting that political alignments often change in democratic systems.

“It is politics. Even in the United States, half of Donald Trump’s cabinet previously criticised him. The same applies here, where several people in our cabinet had also criticised President Tinubu in the past,” he said.

Bwala also dismissed criticism from opposition figures and their supporters, saying their reactions would not distract him from his responsibilities.

According to him, many critics of the government lack clear policy alternatives or a viable strategy to win elections.

“The majority of those criticising are opposition members and their supporters. It does not bother me,” he said.

He, however, expressed appreciation to Nigerians and others who praised his performance during the interview, saying their support was encouraging.

Bwala also acknowledged Hasan’s reputation as a skilled interviewer, describing him as one of the strongest debaters in journalism.

“I still respect and admire Mehdi Hasan as arguably one of the best debaters in the world,” he said.

He added that he would be willing to participate in another interview with Hasan, hoping that a future conversation would focus more on the policies and achievements of the Tinubu administration.