Sowunmi slams Mehdi Hasan over ‘hostile’ interview with Bwala

2026-03-08 - 18:58

By James Ogunnaike The Convener of The Alternative Movement, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has berated Mehdi Hasan over his recent interview with Nigerian Presidential spokesperson, Daniel Bwala, describing the exchange as an example of hostility, rather than professional journalism. Sowunmi, in a statement he made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, argued that the encounter blurred the line between tough questioning and what he called an “attempted public ambush.” He said, “There is a clear difference between tough journalism and outright hostility. One serves the public interest, and the other serves the ego of the interviewer.” According to him, viewers who watched the exchange did not witness a constructive interrogation of public policy, but rather a confrontational spectacle in which the guest was repeatedly interrupted and denied the opportunity to fully articulate his responses. “What viewers witnessed was not a serious interview. It was an attempted public ambush, Sowunmi said.” He said the tone of the interview from the outset appeared “aggressively confrontational,” with questions framed less as efforts to seek clarity on governance and more as what he described as “prosecutorial traps.” Sowunmi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, stressed that effective journalism requires discipline and balance, especially when engaging public officials on complex national issues. “The craft of interviewing demands the ability to ask difficult questions while still allowing the guest to articulate answers. It requires intellectual confidence, strong enough to permit disagreement without descending into open hostility.” He argued that Nigeria is currently grappling with several pressing challenges, including economic restructuring, security concerns, and governance reforms, and that these issues should have formed the core of the discussion. “Nigeria is dealing with serious national questions. A responsible interviewer would have used the opportunity to interrogate the administration’s policies: What strategies are being deployed? What reforms are underway? What outcomes should citizens expect?” Instead, he claimed, the conversation became dominated by “selective outrage and repetitive interruption.” The political commentator also pushed back during the interview against suggestions that political realignments are inherently questionable, noting that shifting alliances are a common feature of democratic systems. “Democratic politics is built on evolving alliances. Former opponents become partners when national circumstances demand cooperation. This is neither shocking nor dishonourable; it is one of the defining characteristics of democratic political life.” Sowunmi further warned that when journalists cross the line into ridicule or public humiliation of interviewees, the credibility of journalism itself may be undermined. “A journalist who openly ridicules or repeatedly attempts to humiliate a guest crosses an important professional boundary. The role of the interviewer is to hold power accountable, not to behave like a courtroom prosecutor seeking a viral ‘gotcha’ moment.” He concluded by urging global media practitioners to prioritize substance and professionalism over theatrics. “Audiences deserve interviews that illuminate policy and probe governance. Respectful engagement does not weaken journalism; it strengthens it,” Sowunmi said. According to him, journalism must remain focused on informing the public, rather than creating spectacles that sacrifice civility and depth for confrontation.