Daniel Bwala, a presidential aide to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has clarified comments he made during the 2023 presidential campaign, insisting that he never referred to the Nigerian president as a drug lord while working with the campaign of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Bwala made the clarification in a video interview shared by Symfoni TV, where he addressed criticisms and interpretations of statements he made during the heated political contest leading up to the 2023 general election.
According to him, his position at the time was often misunderstood. He explained that he never used derogatory language against Tinubu but instead argued that the allegations and questions surrounding claims that had circulated in the political space needed to be properly clarified.
Bwala stated that throughout the campaign period, he personally disagreed with some individuals who used harsh labels against Tinubu. He emphasized that his approach was different, noting that his focus was on the need for transparency and clear explanations regarding the issues that were being raised in public discourse.
He maintained that some political actors and commentators have wrongly attributed statements to him that he never made. According to Bwala, the misunderstanding stems from the fact that other individuals within the opposition used strong language, which he said he did not support.
Explaining his stance, Bwala said his argument during the campaign was simply that questions circulating in the political environment at the time should be addressed to avoid lingering doubts among members of the public.
“I have never called him a derogatory name. I have never called him that. That is where they are missing it,” he said. “Where they are missing it is that there were other individuals that used that. If you ask people from the other side where I worked with, if there was one thing I disagreed with throughout the campaign, it was the appellation that he is a drug lord. But what I was saying was that the question around that needs to be cleared.”
His remarks have since generated reactions on social media, with many Nigerians debating the political dynamics and rhetoric that characterized the 2023 election season.
... Daniel Bwala Clarifies Tinubu Comment, Says He Only Asked Allegation Questions Be Cleared ... Sportify Post.