By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governorship aspirant in Kogi State, Saidu Ugonoh, has urged critics of presidential aide Daniel Bwala to remain calm over public reactions to a recent media interview, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is satisfied with Bwala’s performance.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ugonoh said attention had been drawn to discussions that followed an interview granted by Bwala to Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera, which generated conversations on social media and broadcast platforms in Nigeria.

Ugonoh encouraged Bwala, who serves as Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Policy Communication, to remain focused on his responsibilities, noting that Tinubu was aware of the presidential aide’s political background before appointing him.

According to the APC chieftain, the President brought Bwala into his administration after recognising his competence and his long-standing association with him.

He said Bwala’s relationship with Tinubu dates back to the era of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the political parties that later merged to form the APC.

Ugonoh added that Bwala maintained his connection with the ruling party during the eight-year administration of Muhammadu Buhari, even though he did not hold a political appointment at the time.

He explained that Bwala’s brief association with opposition politics after the APC presidential primaries reflected personal political choices at the time, but maintained that the ruling party remained closely linked to his political career.

Commenting on the reactions to the interview, Ugonoh said public debate is common in democratic societies and noted that political leaders sometimes work with individuals who previously held differing views.

He cited the example of Donald Trump in the United States, noting that several individuals who once criticised him later worked with his administration.

Ugonoh maintained that President Tinubu remained confident in Bwala’s ability to represent the administration in the media space and continue communicating government policies to the public.