The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has described the allegations made by the military leader of Niger Republic, Abdourahamane Tchiani, as despicable propaganda aimed at inciting Northern Nigeria against President Tinubu.
Tchiani, in an interview on Wednesday, accused Nigeria and France of colluding to destabilise his country. Speaking in Hausa, the Nigerien leader claimed that France was negotiating with terrorists in Nigeria to create instability in Niger. He also alleged that France had made substantial payments to President Tinubu to establish a military base in Nigeria.
Reacting to these claims, the Nigerian Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, dismissed them as baseless, asserting that they were unfounded and lacked evidence.
Bwala, in a video posted on his X page on Friday, reinforced the government’s position, labelling Tchiani’s accusations as a ploy to shift attention from the leader’s failures.
“Yesterday I came across a video, a despicable propaganda piece by the military head of state of the Niger Republic against the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and this is what you often see with military interregnum,” Bwala said.
“The honeymoon is over; he has not been able to address economic situations in his country; everything is turning against him, and in the desperate gasp for breath, he decided to resort to cheap false lies and propaganda against Nigeria.
“The choice of words used by the military leader is quite insultive for what his intentions are; probably in cohoot with politicians in Nigerians; you never know.
“But the whole idea is to create chaos and bad blood in Northern Nigeria against the President,” he added.
Bwala further criticised Tchiani’s use of Hausa, a widely spoken language in Northern Nigeria, suggesting that it was a deliberate attempt to stir division within the region.
He highlighted Nigeria’s longstanding leadership role in West Africa and its dedication to maintaining strong bilateral relations with neighbouring countries. Bwala stressed that such falsehoods were not only detrimental to Nigeria but also harmful to the broader objectives of regional stability and cooperation.
“By spreading these baseless allegations, the military leader is not just insulting Nigeria but also undermining the integrity of efforts to foster peace and development in West Africa,” Bwala noted.
The allegations and their subsequent dismissal underscore the growing tensions between Niger’s military junta and Nigeria, as the Economic Community of West African States, under Tinubu’s chairmanship, continues to push for the restoration of democratic governance in Niger.
