A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ibrahim Osinowo, has come hard on presidential aide Daniel Bwala, declaring that he does not speak for the Nigerian government.
Osinowo stated this during an interview on News Central Television on Monday, stressing that the official spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu remains Bayo Onanuga.
According to him, Onanuga, who serves as the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, is the recognised voice of the presidency, alongside other designated communication officials such as Sunday Dare.
“Bayo Onanuga is the spokesperson of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Daniel is not the spokesperson; he is a policy person. Those policies are still meant to be signed off by Bayo Onanuga,” Osinowo said.
The APC chieftain accused Bwala of making controversial statements in a bid to gain national attention.
He also alleged that the presidential aide’s recent trip to the United Kingdom was aimed at repairing his public image.
“Daniel does not go to the United Kingdom to discuss. He just went there to renew his image, which many people see as that of a stanch liar and image destroyer,” he said.
Osinowo insisted that Nigerians seeking the official position of the government should rely only on recognised communication channels.
“If you need anything about the APC government, you talk to Bayo Onanuga or Sunday Dare. These are the people in charge of public communication who convey the stand of the government to Nigerians not Daniel,” Osinowo added.
He further claimed that Bwala had previously made controversial remarks about President Tinubu, including an allegation that the President created a militia, which he described as false.
The comments come amid backlash trailing Bwala’s recent interview with Al Jazeera journalist Mehdi Hasan.
