Showunmi criticises Mehdi Hasan over his Al Jazeera interview with presidential aide Daniel Bwala, calling the exchange hostile and unprofessional

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Segun Showunmi, has criticised journalist Mehdi Hasan over what he described as a hostile and unprofessional interview with presidential media aide Daniel Bwala on Al Jazeera.

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In a post shared on X on Sunday, Showunmi argued that the interview style employed by Hasan during the programme Head to Head crossed the line from tough journalism into personal attacks that undermined the integrity of the exchange.

“Hostility is not journalism. There is a clear difference between tough journalism and outright hostility. One serves the public interest. The other serves the ego of the interviewer,” Showunmi wrote.

The PDP chieftain described the encounter as a “public ambush,” claiming that Bwala’s responses were repeatedly interrupted while questions were framed in a prosecutorial manner that left little room for clarification.

According to him, such an approach weakens the credibility of journalism.

“When the pursuit of humiliation replaces the pursuit of insight, journalism loses its credibility,” Showunmi said, adding that serious interviews require discipline and balance rather than confrontation.

Showunmi also defended Bwala’s past criticism of President Bola Tinubu before his defection from the opposition PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

He argued that political realignment is a common feature of democratic systems.

“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,” he said.

The interview had drawn significant attention after Hasan confronted Bwala with previous statements in which the presidential aide had criticised Tinubu before joining the administration.

When Bwala denied making some of the remarks, Hasan presented video clips during the programme, sparking debate across social media platforms.

Hasan also questioned Bwala on Nigeria’s security challenges, referencing reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch regarding violence and insecurity in parts of the country.

Critics online argued that Bwala struggled to counter the statistics presented during the interview.

Responding to the online backlash, Bwala dismissed the criticism as politically motivated and temporary.

The presidential aide said the reaction from what he described as opposition sympathisers would not distract him from his duties in the administration.

Showunmi said the exchange highlighted a broader debate about the limits of confrontational journalism.

While acknowledging the importance of holding power to account, he argued that professionalism and civility remain essential to credible reporting.

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“Respectful engagement does not weaken journalism; it strengthens it. Firm questioning does not require contempt. Professionalism does not require aggression,” he added.