Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala has said his previous criticisms of President Bola Tinubu should no longer be the focus of public debate, describing the remarks as “baseless” in light of current realities while maintaining that they were not lies.
Bwala made the statement on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he engaged in a heated exchange with anchor Seun Okinbaloye over comments he made about Tinubu before joining the administration.
The presidential aide said he was surprised that the presenter continued to bring up his past remarks instead of focusing on issues currently 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 asked. “They are completely inconsequential to what is happening.”
He argued that the discussion should instead focus on governance-related issues, including the economy, education, security and a letter reportedly written by United States President Donald Trump praising Tinubu’s efforts to tackle insecurity.
“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.”
Bwala said the Tinubu administration had made significant progress, particularly in improving cooperation among Nigeria’s security agencies.
“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 asked whether describing his former comments as “baseless” meant they were lies, Bwala drew a distinction between the two terms.
“They are not lies. They are baseless. Not important for conversation,” he said.
Bwala also accused the presenter of giving excessive attention to arguments from opposition politicians while allegedly failing to scrutinise similar issues involving opposition figures.
“I’m trying my best not to be aggressive about it, but you’re riding on the opposition’s back horse,” he said.
He cited Labour Party leader Peter Obi as an example, saying, “Peter Obi has since changed parties four times. How many times have you asked their people?”
Bwala maintained that discussions about his previous criticisms of Tinubu had become irrelevant, urging Nigerians and the media to focus more on the administration’s policies and issues directly affecting citizens.