Daniel Bwala, the President’s recently appointed Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, responded on Monday to Senator Ali Ndume’s request that he apologise for prior comments on the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Following President Bola Tinubu’s selection of Bwala last Thursday, Ndume issued a statement calling on him to apologise for his previous actions, specifically his objection to Tinubu’s nomination of Senator Kashim Shettima as his running partner in 2023.
But, addressing State House Correspondents on Monday at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, his first appearance since his appointment last Thursday, Bwala rebuffed Ndume’s advice, claiming he has a ‘great’ connection with the Vice President.
“Ordinarily, I would not have responded to his issue because when I was referred to what he said, I immediately contacted the Vice President. We both cracked jokes about that. I have a very fantastic relationship with the Vice President, which even started before the judgement of the court was delivered regarding the matter.
“The relationship became stronger in the build-up to the emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly. Since then, we’ve been having a very good relationship.
“But I know that the senator in question is having some troubled times; all I can say is that we need to pray for him, for God to guide and help him. But we are focused on the work of the President. It’s not about Bwala. It’s about the president,” he said.
Bwala said that he was taking over as Tinubu’s official spokesperson after Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, who went on indefinite leave last September.
Bwala’s appointment by President Bola Tinubu has aroused debate, given his previous role as a spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential campaign and his outspoken criticism of Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress.
Bwala’s nomination makes him the President’s third Special Adviser in a media-related post, following the appointments of veteran journalist Mr. Bayo Onanuga as Special Adviser on Information and Strategy and former Sports Minister Sunday Dare as Special Adviser on Public Communication and Orientation.
Answering questions on concerns about overlap of roles, Bwala said, “There is no issue as to the differences in terms of the responsibility. Everybody knows his responsibility. I am not here to define the responsibility of anybody other than myself because it will amount to gaslighting anybody.
“I only came to introduce myself to you and the role that was given to me by Mr. President. I told you that role was once occupied by Ajuri Ngelale, but for God’s sake, we are all colleagues. We are not particularly bothered about who is this or who is that. We are working to achieve the mandate of Mr. President.”
