Renewed Hope or Total Hopelessness?
Daniel Bwala’s Tough Al Jazeera Showdown: Grilled on Flip-Flop, Nigeria’s Violence, and His Own Old Attacks on Tinubu
Nearly three years after Bola Ahmed Tinubu became president of Nigeria, promising to tackle insecurity, poverty, and corruption under his “Renewed Hope” agenda, critics say the country is facing worsening violence and instability.
Those concerns were front and center in a heated interview on Head to Head on Al Jazeera, where journalist Mehdi Hasan questioned presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala about Nigeria’s security crisis, corruption allegations, and Bwala’s own past attacks on the president he now defends.
The interview, recorded in London in early March 2026, sparked widespread debate online.
From Fierce Critic to Government Defender
Hasan began by pointing out that Bwala once harshly criticized Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, when Bwala supported opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Today, however, Bwala serves as Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication and regularly defends the president’s policies.
Bwala openly admitted he used to criticize Tinubu during the campaign.
But Hasan pressed further, bringing up specific statements Bwala made during the 2023 race.
According to clips shown during the interview, Bwala previously accused Tinubu of “massive corruption,” claimed the election involved vote-buying using “bullion vans” allegedly delivering cash to Tinubu’s home, and suggested the president’s allies formed militias to intimidate voters and manipulate the election.
Hasan even played video footage of Bwala making some of those accusations while speaking as a spokesperson for Atiku.
Bwala strongly pushed back. At times he denied making certain statements outright, saying: “I never said that.” When Hasan showed clips or quoted his past remarks, Bwala dismissed them as part of political campaigning.
“The job of opposition is to oppose,” he said.
Bwala argued that the election dispute had already been settled legally. After challenges reached Nigeria’s courts, the Supreme Court of Nigeria upheld Tinubu’s victory.
Because of that ruling, Bwala said the matter should be considered closed.
He also described his earlier role as political activism during an election campaign, while his current position focuses on governing and what he called patriotism.
Hasan repeatedly asked whether that meant Bwala had been wrong at the time. Bwala avoided directly admitting that, again saying the issue had already been resolved in court.
Questions Over US Bombings
The discussion also turned to recent US airstrikes in Nigeria. According to reports, bombing operations took place around Christmas, after former US President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of failing to stop a genocide against Christians.
Bwala rejected that claim, calling the genocide narrative a “hoax” that spreads division.
He said the operation was a joint effort between Nigeria and the United States based on shared intelligence, not a unilateral American strike.
According to Bwala, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted Nigeria’s foreign minister before the operation, and the information was passed to the president. The strikes, he said, targeted terrorist camps in the Niger region.
Bwala argued the violence in Nigeria is mainly caused by extremist groups such as Boko Haram and armed bandits who attack people of all religions.
“Yes, Christians are affected,” he said, but added that Muslims and other communities are also victims.
Dispute Over Strike Results
Hasan questioned the effectiveness of the strikes, citing reports suggesting that few militants were killed and that some bombs landed in empty areas.
Bwala rejected those claims and said the operation successfully targeted terrorist camps.
However, Hasan cited accounts from civilians who said homes were damaged and residents were injured.
Bwala denied that houses were destroyed, insisting the military operation was aimed only at terrorist targets.
Rising Violence and Security Concerns
Hasan also highlighted statistics showing a rise in deadly violence in Nigeria during Tinubu’s presidency.
According to figures cited in the interview, deaths linked to violence increased from about 8,700 in 2023 to roughly 11,000 in 2025 a rise of about 26 percent placing Nigeria among the world’s deadliest countries.
Bwala acknowledged insecurity remains a major challenge but said the numbers need context.
He argued that Nigeria’s problems did not start with Tinubu and that the government is gradually improving the situation.
He also said terrorism has been a global problem since the September 11 attacks, and Nigeria is working with international partners to tackle extremist groups.
Kidnappings Become a “Crisis Economy”
Kidnappings were another major topic.
Hasan pointed to high-profile cases such as the 2014 abduction of schoolgirls from Chibok, which drew global attention.
He also mentioned a more recent kidnapping in November when about 250 students and staff were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State.
Some analysts now describe kidnapping in Nigeria as a “profit-driven industry.”
Bwala agreed the problem has evolved into what he called a “crisis economy” but said the government is trying to address it.
He highlighted programs aimed at improving safety in schools, including moving students from isolated rural areas to safer urban locations.
Criticism from Human Rights Groups
Despite these efforts, public trust in security forces remains low.
Polls cited during the interview suggest two out of three Nigerians believe authorities respond poorly to kidnappings, while roughly one in three people knows someone who has been abducted.
Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also criticized the government, saying authorities have failed to prevent repeated attacks and allowed impunity to grow.
When Hasan quoted a February 2026 report from Amnesty saying government failures had allowed killings to spread, Bwala replied that he was not aware of the specific report and suggested advocacy groups often present overly negative views.
Hasan jokingly noted that Bwala had said “I’m not aware” several times during the interview a remark that drew laughter from the spokesperson.
Corruption Debate
The conversation ended with questions about corruption.
Hasan cited the watchdog Transparency International, which says corruption continues to affect Nigeria’s defense sector.
He also referred to Tinubu’s statement in August claiming there was “no more corruption in Nigeria,” calling the remark unrealistic.
Bwala defended the government’s approach, saying authorities investigate corruption allegations across multiple sectors and have already arrested several suspects.
A Debate That Sparked Online Reaction
The interview quickly spread online, with many viewers focusing on the contrast between Bwala’s past criticism of Tinubu and his current role defending the administration.
Some critics accused him of denying or dismissing his earlier statements, even when video clips were shown.
After the broadcast, Bwala responded on social media, saying he expected tough questions and accusing the program of using surprise attacks and misrepresented quotes.
Still, the interview highlighted a larger debate in Nigeria: whether Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda is delivering real improvements or whether the gap between campaign promises and daily reality is growing.
