…Bwala accused Hasan’s team of ambush journalism,
ABUJA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, fired back at critics on Saturday, calling out Mehdi Hasan and daring him to a rematch following their heated Head to Head interview on Al Jazeera that stirred social media debate.
In a forthright press statement, Bwala dismissed the backlash as mere “temporary excitement” from opposition figures who, in his view, lack the “vision or mission” to govern Nigeria.
“Selling ice cream, looking good, and fishing for praise were never part of this job,” he declared, pledging to defend Tinubu’s administration “anywhere in the world, any day, any time.”
Bwala accused Hasan’s team of ambush journalism, noting that six months of preparatory discussions had focused exclusively on issues like security, the economy, and corruption, never on his past criticisms of Tinubu.
“Ethically, they should have informed me,” he said, calling Hasan’s “opposition research-style” citations “inaccurate” and “fake news.”
He brushed off his earlier critiques as “all politics,” citing examples like Donald Trump’s cabinet of former adversaries and Tinubu’s own team of ex-detractors.
Scoffing at opposition sympathizers, Bwala noted they struggle even with local TV anchors but now praise his “brave defense.”
Invoking a Hausa proverb “Ga fili ga doki” (show the horse’s teeth) he challenged them: “Go to Head to Head and defend your so-called policies.”
While calling Hasan “the best debater on the planet” and thanking supporters worldwide, Bwala demanded a Part 2: “By then, my past won’t be news. Let’s focus on our achievements.”
