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A special adviser to President Bola Tinubu said he underwent throat surgery shortly after a television interview that sparked widespread online criticism while also accusing a loose opposition support group of hostility.
Daniel Bwala, the president’s adviser on policy communication, made the disclosure during an appearance on News Central’s program, “60 Minutes with Mr. Kay,” which aired on Friday.
“Eight days after the interview with Mehdi Hasan, 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.”
The “Obidient” movement refers to supporters of Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party candidate who came third in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.
Bwala criticised the group, alleging its members prioritise political loyalty over national interest.
“I know the environment I come from; it’s an environment where there exists a species of ‘Trojans’ of social media called the ‘Obidient,’ who do not care about the national interest or the security of Nigeria and will do everything possible to achieve the aim of their hero, no matter the cost,” he stated.
The interview with Hasan, which was released on social media, triggered a backlash, particularly on X, where clips went viral, and critics described Bwala’s performance as embarrassing.
During the exchange, Hasan repeatedly confronted Bwala with past statements in which he had criticised Tinubu before defecting from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.
When Bwala denied making some of the statements, Hasan produced video evidence, according to the clips.
Hasan also pressed Bwala on Nigeria’s security situation, citing reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Bwala did not provide alternative data during the exchange, the clips showed.
Speaking about the interview, Bwala described Hasan’s approach as “opposition-style journalism.”
“What Mehdi Hasan did was what we call opposition-style journalism, where you play the role of the opposition,” Bwala said.
“In that interview, Mehdi sought to elicit information from me to discredit the government, but he could not.”
Bwala said much of the interview focused on his past criticisms of Tinubu, which he acknowledged but sought to move past.
“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 said.
“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.”
He said he warned Hasan against persisting on the same line of questioning.
“He continued doing it, and at a point, I warned him that if he kept going in that direction, I would deny it. He continued, and that was why I kept denying,” Bwala said.
