Tag: Bwala

  • EndSARS began irresponsible protests in Nigeria, says Bwala

    EndSARS began irresponsible protests in Nigeria, says Bwala

    Abuja—The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has described the #EndSARS protest as the beginning and foundation of “irresponsible protesting” in Nigeria.

    Speaking on News Central Television yesterday, Bwala stated that the #EndSARS protest marked the onset of irresponsible protesting in the country, arguing that prior protests had been organised, unlike #EndSARS, which lacked structure.

    Bwala acknowledged the mishandling by law enforcement during the protest, noting that security operatives were trying to maintain law and order.

    “You want to shut down law and order in the country. There is no police anywhere in the world that will close their eyes to that fact. ’#EndSARS was the beginning and the foundation of irresponsible protesting. Before ##EndSARS, all the protests that we had in the country were organised. That’s why they were called organised protests.

    “But the government didn’t shut down the protesters. However, there were misadventures by law enforcement, and I admit that. ‘’That’s why a panel was formed to investigate, and it released its findings. But many of the subsequent reports were based on fake news, particularly from CNN, which exaggerated several aspects of the story,” the presidential aide said.

    Recall that the #EndSARS movement, lasted over 14 days in 2020 across major Nigerian cities, demanded the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, a division of the Nigerian police known for its brutality, extrajudicial killings, and corruption.

    The protest, which initially began as a social media campaign, escalated dramatically, taking a tragic turn on October 20, 2020, when Nigerian security forces allegedly opened fire on unarmed demonstrators at the Lekki Toll Gate, sparking global outrage and widespread denials from the government.

  • El-Rufai wouldn’t have been gov without Buhari factor – Bwala

    El-Rufai wouldn’t have been gov without Buhari factor – Bwala

    Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has claimed that Nasir El-Rufai could not have been governor of Kaduna State without riding on the popularity of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “There is a dynamic around El-Rufai. El-Rufai needed a solid revolutionary person to thrive. On his own, El-Rufai may not win the Senate,” Bwala said during an interview on TVC News on Thursday.

    “He won governorship because of the Buhari factor and got re-elected because of the Buhari factor. If you leave him now to go and run for Senate in Kaduna, he would not win.”

    El-Rufai has been critical of the Tinubu administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC) despite being a member of the party. He is rumoured to be considering forming a coalition to defeat Tinubu in 2027 although El-Rufai earlier said he had no plan to leave the APC.

    Bwala said Tinubu was not losing sleep over the ex-governor’s criticisms.

    “El-Rufai, as he said, is still in APC. You treat him like a brother. I know his grandstanding. I know he is having some trouble finding a path,” he said.

    “If you leave a governing party, which you have influence, and think that you can undertake a mission, you have to have a place that is working to do that.

    “He does not have the capacity to make the president unsettled. No opposition party, even if combined, can make the president unsettled.”

    Bwala dismissed the threat of the opposition to upstage the Tinubu administration: “There is no organised political party in Nigeria other than APC. Almost all opposition parties are trying to find their way.”