Presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala has urged Nigerians to move beyond his previous criticisms of President Bola Tinubu, describing the remarks as “baseless” in light of current realities while insisting they were never false.
Bwala made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he responded to questions from host Seun Okinbaloye about comments he made before joining the Tinubu administration.
The presidential aide questioned why the interviewer continued to revisit his earlier statements instead of focusing on issues affecting Nigerians.
“The first person that started asking me this question was you, and you have done that more than five times. Are you not tired?” Bwala said, adding that his past comments had become “completely inconsequential” to current national affairs.
He argued that the discussion should have focused on governance, citing the economy, education, security, and a reported letter from United States President Donald Trump commending Nigeria’s security efforts.
“We have taken almost 10 minutes on this,” he said. “Nigerian people want to hear tonight what is happening to their lives. They want to know what is happening with their economy, with their education, and most importantly, with security.”
Highlighting the administration’s achievements, Bwala said President Tinubu had strengthened collaboration among Nigeria’s security agencies, describing it as an unprecedented level of coordination.
“We have made substantial progress. It is the first time in Nigeria’s history that the leadership of President Bola Tinubu has brought about very strong collaboration,” he said.
When pressed on whether calling his former remarks “baseless” meant they were lies, Bwala rejected the suggestion, drawing a distinction between the two.
“They are not lies. They are baseless. Not important for conversation,” he stated.
Bwala also accused the programme’s host of amplifying opposition narratives while failing to subject opposition figures to similar scrutiny.
“I’m trying my best not to be aggressive about it, but you’re riding on the opposition’s back horse,” he said.
He referenced Labour Party leader Peter Obi, noting that Obi had changed political parties multiple times and questioned whether the same level of attention had been given to that issue.
Bwala maintained that public debate should shift away from his past criticisms and instead concentrate on the Tinubu administration’s policies and their impact on Nigerians.
