Daniel Bwala, an aide to President Bola Tinubu, says he underwent throat surgery just days after his heated interview with Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera.

Speaking on News Central’s 60 Minutes with Mr Kay, Bwala disclosed that the procedure took place eight days after the interview and said he has since recovered. “Eight days after the interview with Mehdi Hasan, I underwent surgery on my throat,” he said, adding, “I’m back and strong.”

Bwala also took aim at some online critics, particularly supporters of Labour Party’s Peter Obi, known as “Obidients.” He accused them of putting political loyalty above national interest, saying they would go to great lengths to defend their preferred candidate.

Defending his performance during the interview, Bwala described Hasan’s style as confrontational. “What Mehdi Hasan did was what we call opposition-style journalism,” he said, insisting the interviewer was trying to draw comments that could embarrass the government.

He explained that Hasan focused heavily on past remarks he made against Tinubu before switching political camps in 2023. Bwala said he initially acknowledged making stronger criticisms in the past but later resisted repeated attempts to revisit the same issue.

The interview quickly went viral after Hasan confronted Bwala with archived clips of his earlier attacks on Tinubu, including claims that the president was corrupt and unfit for office.

Hasan also challenged him over worsening insecurity in Nigeria, citing reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The exchange sparked widespread backlash online, with many critics describing Bwala’s outing as a poor showing for the administration.