ABUJA — Internal friction within the Presidential Villa has boiled over into public view as Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, claims he is the target of an organized smear campaign orchestrated by elements within the administration.
The senior aide, who transitioned from being a fierce critic of the President to a key government spokesperson, is currently facing a dual-fronted attack from both the opposition and disgruntled “Batists”—hardcore supporters of the President—who view his appointment as a betrayal of party loyalty.
The Al Jazeera Catalyst
The current crisis reached a breaking point following Bwala’s widely panned interview on Al Jazeera’s Head to Head. During the exchange, Bwala’s attempts to distance himself from his past derogatory remarks about the President were met with televised video evidence, leading to the viral “I never said that” moniker.
Rather than receiving cover from the government’s media wing, Bwala has found himself isolated, with prominent pro-Tinubu influencers leading the charge to “drag” him on social media. Many loyalists argue that his inability to defend his own past has made him a liability to the administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.
Claims of a “Master Plan”
In a defiant response to the growing hostility, Bwala has suggested that the resurfacing of his old clips and the intensity of the online vitriol are not accidental. He pointed toward a “master plan” by internal gatekeepers to undermine his position and destroy his credibility before the President.
“There are people in the presidency who are uncomfortable with my presence and are actively targeting me,” Bwala implied in recent communications. He suggested that the digital onslaught is a calculated move by those who have been with the President since the primaries and resent the “new converts” taking high-profile roles.
The Loyalty Debate
The “Trouble in Paradise” narrative underscores a deeper ideological split within the APC. Traditional loyalists have expressed resentment that individuals who “called the President names” during the 2023 campaign are now being rewarded with senior appointments, while those who stood in the “rain and sun” feel sidelined.
This internal resentment has turned Bwala into a lightning rod for broader frustrations within the party’s support base.
Villa Silence
While the Presidency has officially maintained its silence on the internal bickering, the lack of a coordinated defense for Bwala from the Office of the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity has not gone unnoticed. Sources suggest the embarrassment caused by the Al Jazeera outing has cooled the initial enthusiasm for Bwala’s aggressive communication style.
As the pressure mounts, Bwala continues to assert that he retains the President’s confidence, though the escalating “civil war” between him and the President’s traditional support base threatens to overshadow the very policies he was hired to promote.
