Veteran journalist and Arise News anchor Reuben Abati has advised Presidential Special Adviser on Media and Policy Communication Daniel Bwala to take legal action against Al Jazeera, claiming the broadcaster's recent "Head to Head" interview with him was doctored or misrepresented.
Speaking on Arise News' The Morning Show on Wednesday, Abati described the interview conducted by Mehdi Hasan as an example of "ambush journalism" or potentially "bad journalism," where Bwala was caught off-guard by questions revisiting his past criticisms of President Bola Tinubu.
Abati emphasized the importance of preparation and evidence in such high-stakes appearances.“What you do in that case is that you record the interview yourself, so that you will have your own evidence,” Abati said.
“They may not allow you to bring your own camera, but you can bring a small recorder... You have your own evidence.”
He further argued that misrepresentation could constitute an offense, opening the door for legal recourse.“Is misrepresentation an offense? Yes, it is. If you are misrepresented, you can sue for defamation. You can sue for damages,” Abati stated.
“So what is the next step for Daniel? Is he going to sue Al Jazeera and insist that he has been misrepresented? I think he should. Is he going to insist that the original should be published? I think he should too. Word for word, and accordingly, he should learn the necessary lessons.”
The controversy stems from Bwala's appearance on Al Jazeera's Head to Head programme, where Hasan confronted him with archival clips of his 2023 statements made while supporting Atiku Abubakar criticizing Tinubu on issues like corruption, vote-buying, and governance.
Bwala denied or contextualized some remarks during the broadcast, leading to widespread backlash and accusations that he was evasive or inconsistent.
Bwala has since defended himself, accusing the programme of "opposition-style journalism" and claiming producers never disclosed plans to challenge his past.
He alleged in a separate interview that parts of the Al Jazeera segment were doctored or inaccurate.
Abati criticized Bwala for entering the interview unprepared, describing it as walking into an "ambush," but maintained that if evidence supports claims of unfair editing or misrepresentation, pursuing a lawsuit and demanding the full unedited version be released would be appropriate steps.
The incident has fueled ongoing debate about media ethics, political communication, and accountability in Nigerian governance circles. No official response from Al Jazeera on the allegations has been reported as of publication.
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