Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, has accused Al Jazeera of selectively editing his interview in a way that, he says, misrepresented his statements
Speaking with on-air personality Daddy Freeze, Bwala said the network’s edited clips created a misleading impression that fueled criticism online.
“There is a fact that was incorrectly portrayed and has formed the basis of many opinions online, which was unfortunately pushed by Al Jazeera. I asked them to put the record straight,” he said.
The interview was part of the programme Head to Head, hosted by journalist Mehdi Hasan. Clips from the conversation circulated on social media, prompting reactions from Nigerians who criticised Bwala’s responses.
Bwala explained that the interview, recorded on February 11, lasted about one hour and 20 minutes. “The interview was conducted properly. Questions were asked, and I answered them. I didn’t deny anything,” he said.
He noted that the version released online on March 5 was about 49 minutes long and omitted several portions of the discussion. Another shorter version, lasting about eight minutes, also circulated online and included selective segments, highlighting certain responses while leaving out context.
According to Bwala, the network had initially informed him that the full interview would first be broadcast on television before being uploaded online. However, Al Jazeera later cited developments involving Israel, Iran, and the United States as reasons for delaying the broadcast, though the edited version was still uploaded online.
Bwala has called on the network to release the full interview so viewers can see the complete conversation, which had earlier sparked debate online after Mehdi Hasan asked him about past comments regarding President Tinubu prior to joining his administration.
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