Daniel Bwala’s announcement as the presidential spokesman barely settled when Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, issued a statement clarifying his role and the structure of the president’s media team.
Onanuga announced the re-designation of Bwala as Special Adviser on Policy Communication to the President, specifying that Bwala would operate outside the presidential villa rather than as the central figure of the president’s information management team.
The changes were finalized on Monday, November 18, just days after Bwala was named Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication on November 14.
The developments fueled speculations about the leadership of President Bola Tinubu’s media operations, particularly after Ajuri Ngelale, the former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, exited the role in September.
Since Ngelale’s departure, Onanuga had taken on the responsibilities of issuing statements and making pronouncements on behalf of the president, a pattern that continued despite Bwala’s initial announcement.
After a meeting of the president’s media team at the villa on Monday, reports indicated that there was hesitation from Bwala about moving to his redefined role.
An insider told TheCable, “It appeared he wanted to start using the office immediately. Incidentally, Onanuga, who moved into the office only recently, is currently with the president in Brazil for the G20 meeting, so it seemed Bwala wanted to take it over in his absence.”
Another insider added that shortly after, Bwala moved into the press briefing room to address State House correspondents — to everyone’s shock.
Bwala had said, “There is no issue as to the differences in terms of the responsibility; everybody knows his responsibility.
“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.
“When Ajuri was there, the nomenclature was special adviser on media and publicity, and now that role is called special adviser on media and public communications (State House). Sunday Dare works from the office of the minister of information.”
In faraway Brazil, Tinubu was said to have been furious about learning about Bwala’s manoeuvre and immediately instructed Onanuga to issue a clarification.
In his statement, Onanuga wrote: “President Bola Tinubu has re-designated the positions of two recently appointed officials in the State House media and communications team to enhance efficiency within the government’s communication machinery.
“The restructuring is as follows: Mr. Sunday Dare – hitherto Special Adviser on Public Communication and National Orientation, is now Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications.
“Mr. Daniel Bwala – announced last week as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communication, is now Special Adviser Policy Communication.
“These appointments, along with the existing role of Special Adviser, Information and Strategy, underscore that there is no single individual spokesperson for the Presidency. Instead, all the three Special Advisers will collectively serve as spokespersons for the government.”
Tinubu had assembled a very large media team, clearly the biggest in Nigeria’s history, and this might have led to the game of intrigues from the day he assumed office.
Dele Alake, commissioner of information and strategy in Lagos state from 1999-2007 when Tinubu was governor, had been positioned to be special adviser on media, strategy and special duties to the president.
It all looked like a done deal until Seyi Tinubu, whom insiders say plays a major role in appointments made by his father, decided to torpedo it.
Another insider told TheCable, “Seyi brought Ajuri. After his appointment, he asked Ajuri to assert himself from the get-go and that was what Ajuri did. That gave him unfettered access to the president. Other members of the team did not have that access.
“When Ajuri fell out of favour, Seyi started working on bringing Bwala to replace him. He believes a presidential spokesman should be very vocal and should be on the TV every day attacking the president’s critics, so Bwala fitted the bill for him.
“When Bwala’s appointment was announced, Seyi also told him to adopt the same Ajuri strategy: go on the podium, declare yourself spokesman and take over the office.”
Bwala tried the script. It worked for less than 24 hours.
All indications are now that he would be speaking for the office of special adviser to the president on policy coordination, headed by Hadiza Bala Usman, rather than the president.
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