Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala has claimed that international broadcaster Al Jazeera privately apologised to him over his controversial appearance on its Head to Head programme, but said he rejected the apology because it was not made publicly.
According to the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, the matter has now escalated to a court in England, where he is pursuing legal action against the network over what he describes as a defamatory interview.
Bwala made the disclosure during an appearance on The Morayo Show, released on Wednesday, where he revisited the widely discussed television interview that sparked intense debate on social media earlier this year.
Why The Interview Sparked Controversy
Bwala appeared on Al Jazeera’s Head to Head programme in March, where he was interviewed by journalist Mehdi Hasan.
During the interview, Hasan repeatedly confronted the presidential aide with archived video clips, social media posts and public statements dating back to the period when Bwala served as spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign.
The interview largely focused on Bwala’s previous criticism of President Bola Tinubu and sought explanations for his eventual decision to join Tinubu’s administration.
Throughout the programme, Bwala denied making several of the statements presented to him, repeatedly insisting, “I never said that.”
The exchange quickly went viral after it aired, triggering widespread reactions, with many Nigerians questioning the presidential aide’s responses and credibility.
‘They Admitted They Should Have Informed Me’
Speaking about the aftermath of the interview, Bwala claimed Al Jazeera later admitted privately that it failed to follow its own editorial guidelines.
According to him, the broadcaster acknowledged that he ought to have been informed beforehand that the interview would centre on his past criticisms of Tinubu and examine his political transition.
He alleged that the network apologised privately but refused to make the admission public.
“They apologised to me privately. I told them to make the apology public on social media, but they refused because they believed it would damage the credibility of the Al Jazeera brand,” Bwala said.
He added that the issue eventually prompted him to instruct lawyers in England to begin legal proceedings against the broadcaster.
Bwala Accuses Presenter Of Editing Interview
The presidential aide further alleged that the interview was selectively edited in a way that misrepresented his position.
According to him, he had acknowledged at the beginning of the recording that he previously criticised Tinubu and even admitted making stronger remarks than those presented during the interview.
However, he claimed he also informed Hasan that such issues fell outside the agreed scope of the discussion and warned that if the interviewer persisted on that line of questioning, he would simply deny the statements.
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Bwala alleged that this introductory exchange was removed during post-production, leaving viewers with the impression that he was outrightly denying his past comments without any context.
He argued that the omission fundamentally altered how the interview was perceived by the public.
Case Now Before English Court
Bwala disclosed that his legal advisers believe the edited broadcast damaged his reputation and constituted defamation.
He said the lawsuit is currently before a court in England, where he hopes the legal process will determine whether the broadcaster acted improperly.
The presidential aide maintained that his decision to reject a private apology was based on his belief that any acknowledgement of wrongdoing should be made publicly, given the widespread attention the interview received.