Soyinka Refuses Pressure to Evaluate Tinubu’s Administration

Soyinka refuses to bow to pressure to assess Tinubu’s administration.

Nigeria’s Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has refused to bow to pressure mounted on him by the populace to evaluate the President Tinubu-led administration.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, March 24, the renowned literary figure dismissed demands to fulfil his promise of assessing the present administration after one year, insisting that he would do so when he deemed it necessary.

He said, “People should stop trying to work on my timetable for me. I had not swallowed an alarm clock. I don’t see why I should put my alarm on and say: ‘One year has passed, now, I must make an assessment’ if there is nothing I feel like talking about and if I am busy elsewhere.”

Recall that the reason the public is on the literary figure to speak about the administration is because of a promise he made last year. It happened that Soyinka visited Tinubu at his Bourdillon residence in Lagos on December 24, 2023.

During that period, he was asked to share his thoughts on the administration, but he stated that he would do so after one year.

As the one-year period has finally gone, demands are on him to share his opinion on the administration, especially with the massive criticism over the high cost of living, the unpalatable policies, economic hardship and high inflation marked by the Tinubu-led government.

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However, Soyinka questioned why he was being singled out to evaluate the government and claimed that assessing an administration is much more a collective effort than a personal one. “Did I do that with Jonathan? Did I do that with Buhari? Did I do that with Obasanjo? Did I do that with anybody? So, why is it expected of me? Other people are doing the same; this is a collective effort.” He mentioned the likes of Femi Falana, Omoyele Sowore and others who are active critics and examiners of the administration.

Although he acknowledged the regard from the public in seeking for his opinion he insisted he would only speak when he deemed it necessary, not out of compulsion.