Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, has defended the President’s selection of aides and heads of government agencies, describing the appointments as ‘strategic’ rather than based on ethnicity.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’, which aired on Sunday night, Bwala addressed the controversy surrounding the appointments.
He directly responded to criticism from Borno South Senator, Mohammed Ali Ndume, who had accused President Tinubu of favouring the Yoruba ethnic group in his appointments.
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In rebuttal, Bwala dismissed the allegations, emphasizing that the President’s decisions were guided by national interest, not ethnic bias.
“Let me give you a good scenario,” he said. “Where in this country is the most hit by insecurity? The Northern Nigerian. The Chief of Defence Staff, the Minister of Defence, and the Minister of State for Defence—where are they from? These appointments are strategic. If you send somebody from another part of Nigeria to deal with insecurity, they can read meanings to it.”
Bwala went on to clarify that the appointments from Southern Nigeria were driven by economic considerations and aligned with the administration’s development priorities.
“Where are the bases for the commercial nerves of this country? Southern Nigeria. So it makes sense to put people who have an understanding of that place,” he said.
He also pointed out that President Tinubu’s current list of appointees is not final, suggesting that more individuals from various backgrounds across the country would still be included in the administration.
“I am just saying, in terms of the general spread of the appointments—we have over 7,000 appointments to be given. Even the list of Ambassadors has not been released. Many more people are going to come into government,” Bwala added.
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