The Special Adviser on Public Communications and Media to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, has claimed that the Nigerian leader is “physically fitter than most presidents in advanced countries,” amid renewed scrutiny over his frequent foreign medical trips and early endorsements for the 2027 elections.
Naijaonpoint reports that Bwala made the assertion during an interview with DW Africa, where he also defended the wave of endorsements trailing Tinubu’s mid-term in office, describing it as an internal tradition of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“In fact, the president of Nigeria physically is fitter than most presidents in the advanced countries,” Bwala said when asked about concerns regarding Tinubu’s health and his medical travels.
He explained that the early endorsements for Tinubu’s second term were part of the APC’s procedural review at mid-term and not a calculated political stunt.
Bwala said, “It’s a procedure or a process within our party that there will be a mid-term assessment.
“So it’s not about President Bola Tinubu. Whoever is president at the time, after every mid-term, we will assess and see whether the president has performed to a point where we would entrust the person to continue.”
According to Bwala, Tinubu passed the assessment “with distinction.”
He stated, “We have measured that he has performed wonderfully well. “And so we are absolutely confident ahead of 2027 that we have the support of our people.”
Highlighting key achievements of the Tinubu administration, Bwala emphasised local government autonomy as a significant step in deepening democratic governance.
He said, “Deepening democracy is one, which is the introduction of local government autonomy. Autonomy that gives local government chairmen or administrators enormous resources.”
He explained that this autonomy has enabled states to recruit vigilantes and procure equipment for surveillance, intelligence gathering, and law enforcement support.
Bwala also highlighted strides in healthcare and agriculture under Tinubu’s leadership.
“We also provided dispensaries, for example, free caesarean section for mothers who are having trouble giving birth,” he noted.
He added that a rice policy introduced by the administration has improved food accessibility, especially for low-income earners.
He said, “We also have a rice policy that has made rice available to Nigerians across all levels. There are subsidies also on certain prescription drugs for people at the local level, and people are able to access that.”
According to him, nearly 10 million Nigerians have now been registered in the national healthcare system since the start of the administration.