Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, says nearly 70 per cent of those now serving in the President’s administration had, at some point, opposed him politically.
Bwala made the remark on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television while responding to criticisms that some nominees on the new ambassadorial list were unworthy because they had previously attacked or campaigned against Tinubu.
According to him, Tinubu often emphasises forgiveness and inclusion, recalling that the President once told him that his mother taught him never to shut out people simply because they offended him.
“Our position is to remain silent until the National Assembly concludes the confirmation process,” Bwala said, explaining that commenting too early could be seen as trying to influence lawmakers’ decisions.
He added that politics is inherently contentious and that leaders must decide whether to work with people who once opposed them. “Looking at Tinubu’s history, more than 70 per cent of the people with him today worked against him at one time or another,” he said.
Bwala also recounted his first meeting with Tinubu in January last year, noting that the President downplayed past disagreements and referenced his mother’s advice: if a leader remained angry with everyone who once wronged him, “you will wake up one morning and find there are no people left for you to lead.”
The Presidency recently forwarded 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, following an earlier list of three. The nominees include former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, ex-presidential aide Reno Omokri, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
According to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, nominees will know their specific diplomatic postings only after Senate approval. The list features four women among the career nominees and six among the non-career nominees.
