President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has defended his principal’s 2014 demand for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s resignation following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Bwala described Tinubu’s position at the time as “legitimate,” arguing that the Jonathan administration initially responded to the tragedy with denial rather than decisive action.
“In the days of Jonathan, they didn’t have an idea of the solution. They were in denial about the Chibok girls’ kidnapping. When President Tinubu, then Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, called for Jonathan’s resignation, it was a legitimate call,” he stated.
The 2014 abduction sparked global outrage and became a defining moment in Nigeria’s security challenges. However, as mass kidnappings continue under Tinubu’s administration, critics have revisited the president’s earlier stance.
Addressing these concerns, Bwala insisted that the insecurity under Jonathan was significantly worse, claiming that terrorists had seized control of communities and imposed taxes on residents. He also defended the Tinubu administration’s current position, emphasizing that it opposes negotiations or ransom payments to kidnappers.
“There was a time the federal government was negotiating, and I think former Kaduna governor el-Rufai spoke about a national policy then. Both the federal and state governments were in situations where they engaged in negotiations,” he said.
Bwala warned that ransom payments ultimately strengthen criminal groups by funding the purchase of weapons and sustaining their operations.
“But President Tinubu came with this zero tolerance on negotiation because it didn’t fit into terrorism financing,” he said. “You are constructively financing terrorism without knowing it. They use ransom money to buy more weapons.”
He reiterated that the administration does not support negotiations with bandits or terrorists, stressing that its priority is dismantling their financial networks and operational capabilities.