The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has stated that more than 70 per cent of individuals currently working with the President had at some point opposed him politically.

Bwala made the disclosure while addressing concerns over the suitability of certain ambassadorial nominees who had previously criticised or acted against Tinubu.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday, Bwala explained that the Presidency is maintaining a neutral stance while the National Assembly undertakes the confirmation process for the nominees.

He said, “Our posture from the Presidency is to be silent until the National Assembly is able to run through the confirmation process, because we feel that if we throw energy behind that, it will amount to prejudicing the National Assembly, as subjecting them to the process will lead to them being sworn in as ambassadors.

“If it is because of the political decision of the President, those who understand politics know that the political environment is toxic. It is up to individuals who occupy political positions to exercise discretion and decide that ‘this one, I would appoint him even though he worked against me in the past,’ or ‘I would not work with those who worked against me in the past.’ But looking at the history and trajectory of Tinubu, I can say that more than 70 per cent of people with him have worked against him in the past at some point.”

Bwala also recounted a personal encounter with Tinubu, highlighting the influence of the President’s mother on his approach to political alliances. He said, “When I first met him on the 10th of January last year, as soon as I walked in, I was trying to apologise because he had been trying to get in touch with me, and I was avoiding him. Tinubu said, ‘You do not even have to go to that extent because if you had listened to me, what you thought was your fear, you do not have to associate it with me: the Muslim–Muslim ticket.’”

He added, “In terms of people who worked against him, he made it clear to me, narrating individuals who had opposed him in the past, that his mother influenced him in that area. The President said, ‘As the head of the market women, she taught him that if you are going to be angry with people just because they offended you, you will wake up one morning and find that there are no people left for you to lead.’”

President Tinubu recently submitted the names of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, following an earlier batch of three. The nominees include former Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu, former presidential aide Reno Omokri, former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode, and former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, stated that nominees will be assigned to their specific diplomatic postings only after Senate confirmation. He noted that the list includes four women among the career ambassadors and six women among the non-career appointees.