Ex-critics as spokespersons

This played out as discussions repeatedly returned to Bwala’s past statements. Instead of focusing on policy or measurable achievements, he found himself with his back against the wall and had to explain why the things he once said should no longer be taken seriously.

When a spokesman has publicly attacked the administration he now defends, he becomes vulnerable, and when face-to-face with an inquisitor of an interviewer, he is no longer defending the government or at least his principal; he is defending himself.

 Bwala is merely one illustration of a recurring political phenomenon: critics, sometimes even the most strident antagonists, who upon crossing the threshold of power undergo a quiet transformation and emerge as protagonists of the very establishment they once assailed.

Consider Reno Omokri, once a vocal critic of the APC while serving as Special Assistant on Social Media to President Goodluck Jonathan; he has been appointed Nigeria’s ambassador designate to Mexico. Another example is Femi Fani Kayode, formerly a harsh APC critic, now ambassador designate to Germany. Similarly, Festus Keyamo, once an outspoken human rights lawyer, now serves as Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development; and Nyesom Wike, formerly governor of Rivers State under the opposition PDP, now serves as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Together, despite their past criticisms, these fellows are now embedded within the current political establishment they once opposed.

One cannot run out of examples as Nigeria’s political history contains many such reversals. Such fluidity may be inevitable in a young democracy as coalitions change, interests shift, and political realities evolve.

Nonetheless, public communication is different, as a government spokesman occupies a uniquely delicate position. He is not just another political appointee defending a faction; he is the public voice of the administration. His words are interpreted as official explanations of policy, intentions, and priorities.

For that role to be effective, credibility is indispensable. Credibility does not arise from eloquence alone. It grows from consistency. When audiences know that a spokesman has held particular views over time, his arguments carry authority even among dissenters. If he had had opposing views, trying to push new narratives becomes a tragi-comedy.

In Bwala’s case, the difficulty was obvious, and it would have been in any other case anyway—digital records of modern politics such as television clips, archived interviews, and online commentary preserve statements indefinitely.

When a spokesman attempts to defend a government he once criticised, those earlier remarks inevitably resurface. In the age of the internet and social media, every statement, tweet, or clip remains searchable, making it almost impossible for a spokesman to reinvent himself without encountering his own past words.

 Journalists like Mehdi Hasan specialise in confronting public officials with their own words. In such settings, rhetorical agility cannot compensate for inconsistency. That is why the Al Jazeera encounter resonated so strongly online and in political circles. It highlighted the risks of placing recent converts at the centre of government strategy, especially in the sensitive role of spokesman. Instead of strengthening the administration’s defence, the appointment inadvertently handed critics a powerful narrative about opportunism and political convenience.

This piece is not suggesting that former critics should be permanently excluded from government. Democracies benefit when individuals with diverse perspectives contribute to governance. Political reconciliation and inclusion can indeed broaden support for reforms.

However, some roles carry specific burdens, and these demand special carefulness in filling them. A public spokesman must speak with a voice that sounds anchored, steady, and credible. When the public remembers the same voice recently expressed the opposite view, the message loses persuasive power.

 The controversy surrounding his media appearance has created a distraction that risks overshadowing substantive government arguments.

Let me put it succinctly—it is not expedient to make a recent critic the voice of the government before the world. Governments communicate most effectively through voices whose credibility is rooted in long-standing conviction rather than sudden conversion.

 When the defence of an administration rests on individuals who only recently opposed it, every interview risks turning into a debate about personal consistency instead of public policy.

The Al Jazeera episode is therefore a useful moment of reflection, and not merely about one spokesman’s difficult interview; it is about the strategic choices that shape how governments present themselves to the world.

Political conversions may help build alliances, but credibility, once strained, is far more difficult to repair. And in the unforgiving theatre of global media, credibility remains the most valuable currency any government spokesman can possess.

 Ultimately, political messaging is not just about defending policy—it is about cultivating trust, maintaining authority, preserving credibility, and preserving the perception of integrity in the eyes of the public and the global audience alike.

• Nubi is a Lagos-based lawyer and public affairs commentator.