Bwala: Why Appoint Former Attack Dogs As Spokespersons? – Moghalu Questions Tinubu

Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Kingsley Moghalu, has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s media aide, Daniel Bwala gave a disastrous interview on Al Jazeera’s programme

Speaking via a statement, Moghalu lamented that the interview portrayed Nigeria poorly on the global stage and also reflected badly on President Bola Tinubu.

He stated that despite Nigeria’s challenges, many people around the world still hope the country will eventually fulfil its potential.

“The interview made a spectacle of Nigeria, not just because of the reach of the program globally, but also the format in which there was a global audience in the room itself,” he said.

He questioned the impression the audience might have formed about Nigeria after what he described as “such a fact-based shredding of the country’s leadership and its performance.”

Moghalu said the episode reflected deeper issues within Nigeria’s political culture, which he argued is driven largely by opportunism and power struggles rather than ideology or clear policy direction.

“It was a sad commentary on Nigeria’s political culture in which there are no beliefs, no policies, no ideology, just crass opportunism and the battle for political power. Turn-coatism is ‘it’,” he said.

The former CBN deputy governor also criticised the government’s choice of spokespersons, suggesting that competence often takes a back seat to loyalty in political appointments.

“Second, the fact that Bwala, given his record, is sent out to speak for the President of Nigeria on the international stage says much about the standards by which the government in Nigeria recruits people for specific roles,” he said, adding that in such circumstances “loyalty”, however temporary, appears to matter more than competence.

He further questioned the practice of appointing former critics of the administration as government spokespersons or representatives after they defect politically.

“Thirdly, why appoint former attack dogs of the political opposition as spokespersons and Ambassadors for the administration simply because they have ‘defected?” He asked.

According to him, such individuals often carry political baggage that undermines their credibility in public-facing roles.

“Bwala was left trying to eat his words with bare-faced lies!” He said.

Moghalu argued that there are more credible individuals who could represent the Nigerian government, even amid criticisms of its performance.

“I think there are people who could be far more credible spokesmen and women for Nigeria’s government, even with all its underperformance in governance,” he said.

Reflecting on reactions from the international community, Moghalu said several friends from different countries had contacted him after watching the interview.

It was a sad day for our country. I’ve received several calls from friends from various countries around the world. All were in shock and felt sorry for our country to be put in such a spot,” he said.