Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has revealed that he has taken legal action against Al Jazeera in the United Kingdom over what he described as the selective editing of his appearance on the broadcaster’s Head to Head programme hosted by Mehdi Hasan.
Bwala disclosed this while speaking on The Morayo Show aired on MAP Studios on Thursday, saying he decided to sue after the network allegedly refused to issue a public apology over the handling of the interview, despite apologising to him privately.
According to him, the original conversation lasted about 90 minutes, but only 49 minutes were eventually aired. He argued that the final version gave a distorted impression of his views and unfairly damaged his public image.
Bwala said the matter is already before a court in England, adding that his legal advisers believe the way the interview was edited amounts to defamation of character. He explained that after receiving a private apology from the broadcaster, he asked that the same apology be made publicly on social media, but the request was declined.
The interview, which aired in March, generated widespread reaction after Hasan confronted Bwala with several remarks he made during his time as a spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential campaign. Since then, Bwala has repeatedly insisted that the programme was edited in a manner that misrepresented him.
Speaking further during the interview, the presidential aide turned to the issue of insecurity and argued that state governors should be held accountable for kidnappings taking place within their states. He said such incidents occur in local government areas under the supervision of state authorities and should not be treated as matters entirely detached from governors.
His comments come amid continuing concern over abductions and violent attacks across the country. In May, Zoyols News reported the abduction of about 32 persons, including pupils and teachers, from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. One of the victims, mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, was later killed while in captivity.
Bwala said the Federal Government had released funds to states through the Safe Schools Initiative to support security measures such as perimeter fencing and early warning systems. He urged Nigerians to demand accountability from governors and ask how those funds were utilised.
He also claimed that some local governments in Oyo State receive as much as ₦600 million every month, arguing that such allocations should be channelled into areas such as primary healthcare, education, local security and welfare programmes. He added that local government councils should hold regular town hall meetings to allow residents question their chairpersons on the management of public funds.
Bwala also addressed criticism surrounding his return to the All Progressives Congress. He said he left the party in 2022 because he feared its Muslim Muslim presidential ticket could lead to the marginalisation of Christians, especially in northern Nigeria.
He explained, however, that he later reviewed his position after concluding that those fears had not played out as expected. According to him, one of the factors that influenced his decision to return was what he described as the Tinubu administration’s inclusion of many Christians in key government appointments.
Bwala’s political journey has remained a subject of public attention in recent years. After leaving the APC, he went on to serve as one of the spokespersons for Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign and became a vocal critic of President Tinubu, at one point even calling for his arrest over corruption allegations.
He eventually returned to the APC in 2026 after meeting President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa and was later appointed Special Adviser on Policy Communication.
