He shared this during an appearance on News Central’s programme 60 Minutes with Mr Kay, which aired on Friday. While speaking, Bwala also responded to reactions from the interview and criticism circulating online.
“Eight days after my interview with Mehdi Hasan, I had surgery on my throat. I don’t know if it was the ‘Obidient’ people that did some African thing, but regardless, I’m back and doing well,” he said.
Bwala went on to criticise a group of social media users he referred to as “Obidients,” accusing them of placing political loyalty above Nigeria’s national interest.
“I understand the environment I come from. There’s a group on social media I describe as ‘Trojans,’ known as the ‘Obidient.’ According to him, they are willing to go to any length to support their preferred leader, without considering the country’s security or overall interest,” he stated.
Speaking about the interview, Bwala defended his performance, describing Hasan’s style as confrontational.
“What Mehdi Hasan did falls under opposition-style journalism, where the interviewer acts like the opposition. His goal was to draw out statements that could discredit the government, but he didn’t succeed,” Bwala said.
He explained that much of the discussion focused on comments he made about President Tinubu while he was still in the opposition, which he admitted to but tried to move past.
“In the first 15 minutes, he kept asking me about things I had said about President Tinubu when I was in the opposition. I admitted to them — even said I had said more than what he mentioned — but I requested that we move on to more relevant issues,” he explained.
Bwala added that he eventually warned Hasan about continuing along that line of questioning.
“He kept pushing, and at some point, I told him that if he didn’t stop, I would begin to deny it. He continued, and that’s why I started denying,” he said.
Earlier, Naija Street Matters reported that clips from the interview quickly went viral on social media, especially on X, where many users criticised Bwala’s performance and described it as disappointing.
During the interview, Hasan repeatedly challenged Bwala with past statements where he had allegedly described President Tinubu as corrupt, a drug baron, and unfit for leadership—comments made before his switch from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in 2023.
When Bwala denied making some of those remarks, Hasan presented video evidence, which sparked further criticism online.
Hasan also questioned him on Nigeria’s worsening security situation, referencing reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. However, Bwala was unable to provide data to counter those claims.
