11th February 2025
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Daniel Bwala, has explained that his past criticism of President Bola Tinubu was because he was in the opposition as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, Bwala stated, “I criticized Tinubu’s election and administration in the past because I was in the opposition. The opposition’s job is to hold the government accountable. My views changed after I met the President, and he saw the need to appoint me.”
Before his appointment, Bwala had strongly opposed Tinubu’s victory, accusing him of rigging the election and questioning his legitimacy. He argued that Tinubu would struggle with “moral legitimacy” due to the alleged irregularities in the electoral process. In previous interviews, he referred to Tinubu as a “president-select” rather than a “president-elect” and insisted that the PDP was the rightful winner of the election.
In March 2023, Bwala claimed that if the results had been accurately recorded, the PDP would have won by over a million votes. He criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing it of manipulating the election outcome.
Despite his previous stance, Bwala now aligns with the Tinubu administration, emphasizing that his earlier criticisms were simply part of his role in the opposition.
