“I Was Strong Enough to Survive”: Tinubu’s Aide Daniel Bwala Reveals Post-Interview Throat Surgery

​ABUJA, Nigeria – Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has revealed that he underwent a major throat surgery barely a week after his viral and highly contentious interview with Al Jazeera’s Mehdi Hasan.

​Speaking on News Central’s flagship program, 60 Minutes with Mr Kay, which aired on Friday, Bwala broke his silence on the physical toll and the aftermath of an interview that dominated social media discourse for weeks.

​“Eight days after the interview with Mehdi Hasan, I underwent surgery on my throat,” Bwala disclosed. Adding a touch of his characteristic political wit, he quipped, “I don’t know whether it is the ‘Obidient’ people that threw that African thing, but in any case, I’m back and strong.”

​Clash with the “Trojans”

​The presidential aide did not hold back in his assessment of his online critics, specifically targeting supporters of Labor Party’s Peter Obi. Bwala described the “Obidient” movement as a “species of social media Trojans” whom he accused of prioritizing the agenda of their political leader over the sovereign interests and security of Nigeria.

​The Al Jazeera interview in question became a lightning rod for criticism, as viewers watched Hasan press Bwala on past statements he made against President Tinubu while Bwala was still serving as a spokesperson for the opposition.

​Defending the “Denial”

​Addressing the backlash regarding his performance during the heated exchange, Bwala labeled Mehdi Hasan’s approach as “opposition-style journalism.” He claimed the host was more interested in discrediting the current administration than engaging in a policy-driven dialogue.

ADVERTISEMENT

​“In the first 15 minutes, he started by asking me to answer questions relating to things I said about President Tinubu when I was in the opposition,” Bwala explained. “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.”

​In a surprising admission, Bwala explained his strategy of “denial” during the latter half of the interview. He stated that after repeatedly acknowledging his past remarks, he warned Hasan to pivot the conversation. When the host persisted, Bwala opted to deny the statements as a defensive tactic against what he perceived as a targeted character assassination attempt.

​Despite the surgical procedure and the political firestorm, Bwala maintained that the government’s communication remains resilient, asserting that the interview ultimately failed to elicit information that could legitimately damage the Presidency.