Sowunmi hits back at Mehdi Hasan for 'aggressive' questioning of Bwala

Otunba Segun Sowunmi, the Convener of The Alternative Movement, has criticized Mehdi Hasan for his recent interview with Nigerian Presidential spokesperson, Daniel Bwala, describing the exchange as an example of hostility rather than professional journalism.

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Sowunmi made this statement available to newsmen in Abeokuta, where he argued that the encounter blurred the line between tough questioning and what he called an “attempted public ambush.”

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He emphasized that there is a clear difference between tough journalism and outright hostility, with one serving the public interest and the other serving the ego of the interviewer.

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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, according to Sowunmi.

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Sowunmi stated that what viewers witnessed was not a serious interview, but rather an attempted public ambush, highlighting the need for a more nuanced approach to journalism.

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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.”

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As a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sowunmi stressed that effective journalism requires discipline and balance, especially when engaging public officials on complex national issues.

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He noted that the craft of interviewing demands the ability to ask difficult questions while still allowing the guest to articulate answers, requiring intellectual confidence strong enough to permit disagreement without descending into open hostility.

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Nigeria is currently grappling with several pressing challenges, including economic restructuring, security concerns, and governance reforms, which Sowunmi believes should have formed the core of the discussion.

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A responsible interviewer, he argued, would have used the opportunity to interrogate the administration’s policies, exploring strategies, reforms, and expected outcomes for citizens.

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Instead, the conversation became dominated by “selective outrage and repetitive interruption,” according to Sowunmi, who pushed back against suggestions that political realignments are inherently questionable.

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He noted that democratic politics is built on evolving alliances, where former opponents become partners when national circumstances demand cooperation, which is neither shocking nor dishonourable, but rather a defining characteristic of democratic political life.

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Sowunmi further warned that when journalists cross the line into ridicule or public humiliation of interviewees, the credibility of journalism itself may be undermined, as the role of the interviewer is to hold power accountable, not to behave like a courtroom prosecutor.

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A journalist who openly ridicules or repeatedly attempts to humiliate a guest, he said, crosses an important professional boundary, and the pursuit of a viral ‘gotcha’ moment can compromise the integrity of journalism.

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Sowunmi concluded by urging global media practitioners to prioritize substance and professionalism over theatrics, emphasizing that audiences deserve interviews that illuminate policy and probe governance.

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He stated that respectful engagement does not weaken journalism, but rather strengthens it, and that journalism must remain focused on informing the public, rather than creating spectacles that sacrifice civility and depth for confrontation.