Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has revealed that he underwent throat surgery shortly after his widely discussed interview with Al Jazeera journalist Mehdi Hasan.
He made this known during an appearance on News Central on Friday, April 11, where he also responded to reactions and criticism that followed the interview.
“Eight days after the interview with Mehdi Hasan, I had throat surgery. I don’t know whether it is the ‘Obidient’ people that threw that African thing, but in any case, I’m back and strong,” he said.
Bwala also criticised supporters of Peter Obi, popularly known as “Obidients,” accusing them of prioritising political loyalty over Nigeria’s national interest.
“I come from an environment where there exists a group on social media called the ‘Obidients,’ who, in my view, do not consider the country’s broader interests or security and will go to any length to support their preferred candidate,” he stated.
He further defended his performance during the Al Jazeera interview, describing Mehdi Hasan’s approach as confrontational and reflective of opposition-style journalism.
“What Mehdi Hasan practised was opposition-style journalism, where the interviewer takes on the role of the opposition. He tried to draw statements from me to discredit the government, but he was unsuccessful,” Bwala said.
According to him, much of the early part of the interview focused on past comments he made about President Tinubu while he was in the opposition.
“In the first 15 minutes, he pressed me on statements I had made about President Tinubu in the past. I acknowledged them and even admitted I had said more than what he referenced, but I urged that we move on to the main purpose of the interview,” he added.
