Nigeria, March 12 -- For good or ill, Daniel Bwala's recent appearance with Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera quickly has become one of the most discussed political media moments involving a Nigerian government spokesperson in recent times. At the end of the day, Bwala, the government spokesman became the story. If anything, Bwala must be licking his wounds, and those who tricked him into sitting across the table with Hasan must be feeling fulfilled, for taking their pound of flesh from an ideological turncoat.

When government spokespersons agree to interviews with tough international journalists, they step into an arena where preparation, clarity, and composure are essential. Unfortunately, that was not the case when Bwala sat down with a form...