Arise News Morning Show anchor Oseni Rufai has criticised presidential media aide Daniel Bwala over his claim that a recent interview with Mehdi Hasan of Al Jazeera was edited to misrepresent him.
Bwala, who serves as a policy communication aide to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had alleged during an interview with media personality Daddy Freeze that Al Jazeera selectively edited his appearance on the programme “Head to Head,” creating a misleading narrative that sparked widespread reactions on social media.
The interview between Bwala and Hasan generated significant backlash online, with many Nigerians criticising the presidential aide’s performance and describing the exchange as embarrassing.
Reacting during a discussion on the Arise News Morning Show, Rufai dismissed Bwala’s allegation and defended Hasan’s style of journalism, insisting that the interview followed normal standards of accountability.
“There is real accountable journalism, and that’s what Mehdi practices,” Rufai said. “What is obvious is that most Nigerian officials are used to being pampered.”
Rufai further argued that many public officials in Nigeria are accustomed to receiving interview questions ahead of time and being guided on discussion areas, a practice he suggested might have influenced Bwala’s reaction to the tough questioning.
He also questioned the credibility of Bwala’s claim that the interview was doctored, noting that the first version of the clip he saw was shared by the presidential aide himself. Rufai asked why the issue was not raised immediately if the content had indeed been manipulated.
“The first place I saw the interview was on Bwala’s page. Was it the doctored version he shared? Did he watch it before posting it? Why were concerns raised only after the backlash?” Rufai asked.
According to the Arise News anchor, the footage widely circulated online simply reflected statements made by Bwala during the interview and was supported by video clips of his own responses, rather than any fabricated additions.
