Daniel Bwala, on Monday officially assumed as Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Bola Tinubu, addressing public criticism regarding his new role.

Addressing State House Correspondents, Bwala, who previously served as spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 presidential campaign, emphasised the importance of focus amidst distractions, stating, “When you are focused on a thing, you are going to be faced with distraction.”

Bwala highlighted that his appointment is about supporting the President’s administration rather than personal interests. He asserted, “It’s not about Bwala; it’s about the president,” reinforcing his commitment to the administration’s goals.

He said: “In life, generally, you look at focus. When you are focused on a thing, you are going to be faced with distraction. Your character will be determined by how you conduct yourself in the case of carrying out the information.

“It’s about the government. It’s about the president. It’s about his administration. It’s not about Bwala and because these things have been trashed before, I don’t want to feed the negative energy that is obviously sponsored by some elements who think that by doing so, you can gaslight the President. The President is committed, and we are committed to the force of the President, so I won’t feed into that energy.”

Bwala’s appointment has drawn mixed reactions, particularly from Senator Ali Ndume, who praised Tinubu for demonstrating inclusivity but urged Bwala to apologise to Vice President Kashim Shettima for past criticisms regarding Shettima’s selection as running mate. Ndume remarked, “This gesture deserves serious applause,” yet he emphasised the need for unity within the party.

In response to Ndume’s comments, Bwala noted his strong relationship with Shettima, saying on his attention being drawn to what the Senator from Borno said , “I immediately contacted the vice president… we all cracked jokes about that.” He maintained that his focus remains on fulfilling the President’s mandate and urged critics to concentrate on the administration’s work.

He said: “Ordinarily I would not have responded to this issue, because when I was referred to what he said, I immediately contacted the vice president. We all cracked jokes about that. I have a very fantastic relationship with the Vice President, which even started before the judgment of the court was delivered regarding the matter.

“The relationship started, or rather became stronger, in the build up to the emergence of leadership of the National Assembly. And since then, we’ve been having very good relationship, but I know that the senator in question is having some troubled times, all I can say is that we need to pray for him, for God to guide and help but we are focused on the work of the President. It’s not about Bwala it’s about the president.”

Asked to define his role as there are other two special advisers on media and communication, Bwala reiterated that his role is not about defining others’ responsibilities but about collaborating effectively within the administration. “We are working to achieve the mandate of Mr. President,” he said.

Bwala explained: “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 the responsibility. Everybody knows his responsibility. I am not here to define the responsibility of anybody other than myself, because it will amount to gaslighting others.

“I only came to introduce myself to you and the role that was given to me by Mr President, and 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 who is that. We are working to achieve the mandate of Mr President.”