By Editor Mahmoud Muhammad
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has disclosed that he recently underwent throat surgery, days after his widely debated interview with Mehdi Hasan of Al Jazeera.
Bwala made the revelation during an appearance on News Central’s programme 60 Minutes with Mr Kay, where he also responded to the wave of criticism that followed the interview.
According to him, the procedure took place about eight days after the televised exchange, which had generated intense reactions across social media platforms.
“Eight days after the interview, I underwent surgery on my throat,” Bwala said. “I don’t know whether it is the ‘Obidient’ people that threw that African thing, but in any case, I’m back and strong.”
His remarks come amid ongoing online backlash, particularly from supporters of Peter Obi, often referred to as “Obidients”. Bwala accused a segment of the group of placing political allegiance above national interest.
He said: “There exists a group on social media who, in my view, prioritise loyalty to their preferred candidate over the broader interests and security of the country.”
Addressing the controversial interview itself, Bwala defended his performance, describing Hasan’s questioning style as confrontational and aligned with opposition journalism.
“What Mehdi Hasan did was what we call opposition-style journalism,” he said. “He sought to extract statements that could be used to discredit the government, but I do not believe he succeeded.”
Much of the exchange centred on Bwala’s past criticism of President Tinubu prior to his defection from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2023. Bwala acknowledged making several of the remarks but argued that the interview dwelt excessively on his past positions rather than current policy issues.
“I admitted that I had made even more statements than those referenced,” he said. “But I appealed that we move on to the purpose of the interview.”
He added that tensions rose when the interviewer persisted with the line of questioning. “At a point, I cautioned that if it continued in that direction, I would deny it,” he said.
The interview, which quickly circulated online, sparked widespread criticism, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where clips went viral and drew mixed reactions.
During the exchange, Hasan repeatedly confronted Bwala with past comments in which he had described President Tinubu in highly critical terms before later aligning with his administration. When Bwala disputed some of the remarks, video evidence was presented, further fuelling online debate.
The journalist also questioned him on Nigeria’s security challenges, citing reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Bwala, however, did not provide detailed data in response during the interview.
Despite the controversy, Bwala maintained that he remains unfazed and focused on his role in government.
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