Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has revealed that he underwent throat surgery shortly after a high-profile interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan of Al Jazeera, which sparked widespread online criticism.
Bwala made the disclosure on News Central’s “60 Minutes with Mr Kay” on Friday, addressing the backlash from clips of the interview that went viral on social media.
“Eight days after the interview with Mehdi Hasan, I underwent surgery on my throat. I don’t know whether it is the ‘Obidient’ people that threw that African thing, but in any case, I’m back and strong,” Bwala said.
The presidential aide criticised social media users he labelled “Obidients,” accusing them of prioritising political loyalty over national interest. “I know the environment I come from; it’s an environment where there exists a species of ‘Trojans’ of social media called the ‘Obidient,’ who do not care about the national interest or the security of Nigeria and will do everything possible to achieve the aim of their hero, no matter the cost,” he stated.
Bwala defended his performance in the interview, describing Hasan’s approach as adversarial journalism designed to discredit the government. He said the first 15 minutes focused on his past criticisms of President Tinubu while he was in the opposition, which he acknowledged but sought to move past.
“Repeatedly, I admitted to them — I even said I had said more than what he mentioned, but I asked that we move on to the purpose of the interview,” Bwala said. He added that he warned Hasan against persisting on the same line of questioning, but the interviewer continued, prompting Bwala to deny some statements.
The interview, which went viral on X, drew significant backlash, with critics highlighting video evidence where Bwala had previously described Tinubu as a drug baron, corrupt, and unfit to lead, comments made before his 2023 defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
Hasan also pressed Bwala on Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation, citing reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, while Bwala admitted he lacked data to counter the figures.
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