Less than a week after adding former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s campaign spokesman to his media team, President Bola Tinubu has restructured his media and communications team by redesignating Daniel Bwala and Sunday Dare.
This was just as President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has countered the newly appointed presidential media adviser, Bwala, on his claim that he is “the spokesperson” of the presidency.
“Today, I resumed officially as the Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications/Spokesperson (State House). I am happy to have joined a meeting of the robust and fantastic communication team of Mr. President. I love the existing unity among the team and hope we can leverage on that even for more synergy,” Bwala had tweeted on Monday.
But Onanuga clarified in a press release that no single individual will act as the presidency’s spokesperson. Instead, all three special advisers – including Onanuga himself – will speak for the president.
Onanuga had once clashed with the former State House official spokesman, AJuri Negelale, over responsibilities. The latter resigned from the position in September.
Dare, a former Minister of Youth and Sports, who was recently appointed as Special Adviser on Public Communication and National Orientation, has been redesignated as Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications.
Bwala, announced last week as Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, has been reassigned as the Special Adviser on Policy Communication. Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, Bwala dumped President Tinubu and defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to join Atiku’s campaign organisation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Onanuga clarified that “These appointments, along with the existing role of Special Adviser, Information and Strategy, underscore that there is no single individual spokesperson for the Presidency.
“Instead, all the three Special Advisers will collectively serve as spokespersons for the government. This approach aims to ensure effective and consistent communication of government policies, decisions, and engagements.”
This restructuring follows the indefinite leave of absence taken by Ajuri Ngelale, the former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, who cited family medical issues. The recent appointments are intended to prevent past tensions within the media team, particularly those experienced during Ngelale’s tenure.
Bwala’s previous criticisms of Tinubu’s presidency—accusations of electoral rigging and doubts about Tinubu’s ability to address Nigeria’s challenges—add complexity to his new role. Despite these past conflicts, the presidency seeks to foster a cohesive communication strategy moving forward.
This new model reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to transparency and effective engagement with the public and media, ensuring that government policies and decisions are communicated clearly and consistently.
