The camp of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, has ridiculed Daniel Bwala following the recent reshuffling of President Bola Tinubu’s media team.
Demola Olarewaju, Atiku’s Special Assistant on Digital Media and Strategy, suggested that Bwala’s position had been downgraded in the shake-up, adding fuel to the growing tension within Tinubu’s media circle.
In a statement released recently, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, announced a significant shift in the media team. Sunday Dare was appointed as the new Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, taking over from Bwala. Meanwhile, Bwala was re-designated as Special Adviser on Policy Communication, a move that was seen as a reduction in his responsibilities.
Olarewaju quickly took to social media to express his thoughts on the development, particularly commenting on the timing and nature of the announcement. He pointed out the late-hour release, stating, “Egbon Onanuga didn’t wait till morning or later to issue that press release re-designating Bwala’s position. Man dropped it ‘as e dey hot’ at 11:28 in the night.”
Olarewaju went on to suggest that the decision to reassign Bwala was swift and calculated. He implied that the reshuffle was not only about reshaping the media team but also about sending a message. “It means they accessed Tinubu, made their case, and demoted Bwala, then came out immediately to announce it,” he said.
The tone of his comments grew sharper as he interpreted the move as a signal to Bwala: “The coded message to Bwala is: ‘You might be in office, but we are in power. You might know Tinubu, but we’ve known Tinubu. We might let you be with us, but you’re not one of us. And you will know your place or we will quickly teach you.’” Olarewaju added, “This is what happens when one has no shame.”
In response to the reshuffling, Bwala addressed the situation with State House Correspondents on Monday. He sought to clarify his new role and downplay the significance of the changes. Bwala stated that he was replacing former Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, who had stepped down in September. When asked about the specifics of his new role, Bwala downplayed any distinction, asserting that leading the media team or being the spokesman was essentially the same.
“What’s the difference between leading the team and being the spokesman?” Bwala asked. “What I can tell you is that, like I said, all of us are servants of the President. There is no issue as to the differences in terms of responsibility. Everybody knows their responsibility. I am not here to define the responsibility of anybody other than myself because it will amount to gaslighting anybody.” He also noted, “I only came to introduce myself to you and the role that was given to me by Mr. President. I told you that role was once occupied by Ajuri Ngelale, but for God’s sake, we are all colleagues. We are not particularly bothered about who is this or who is that. We are working to achieve the mandate of Mr. President.”
Despite Bwala’s attempts to downplay the reshuffle, the public commentary surrounding the change suggests a deeper power struggle within Tinubu’s media team. The comments from Atiku’s camp, along with Bwala’s response, have drawn attention to the delicate balance of power and influence in the administration, as well as the potential consequences of such reshuffles.
