Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has dismissed calls for him to dictate the timing of his assessment of President Tinubu’s government, insisting he will speak when he has something meaningful to say.
Soyinka emphasised that he would only offer his evaluation when he deems it necessary and when he has substantive observations to share, dismissing the notion that he should adhere to a pre-determined timeline.
Soyinka asked Nigerians not to work on his timetable for him, saying he would speak on Tinubu’s government when he had something to say.
Speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast show, ‘The Morning Brief’, on Monday, Soyinka pushed back against expectations that he would automatically evaluate Tinubu’s administration after one year in office, as he previously suggested in December 2023.
“People should stop trying to work on my timetable for me,” he said. “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.” Soyinka replied those asking him to fulfill his promise to assess Tinubu’s administration after one year in office which elapsed on May 29, 2024.
Soyinka had visited President Tinubu at his Bourdillon residence in Ikoyi, Lagos, on December 24, 2023. When asked then to comment on the administration, which began on May 29, 2023, the literary icon had said he would reserve his verdict until after a year.
However, as Tinubu’s government marked its first anniversary on May 29 2024, some Nigerians expected Soyinka to weigh in on the administration’s performance, particularly amidst rising inflation and economic hardships.
READ ALSO: Supreme Court reinstates Senator Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary
Soyinka, however, emphasized that critiquing governance was a collective responsibility, pointing out that other voices in the civic space have been speaking up.
“This business of ‘you haven’t come to do this’, I don’t understand it. Other people are doing the same; this is a collective effort. The Falanas speak consistently. The Baiyewus speak consistently. The Sowores come out and try to lead demonstrations. It’s a collective effort,” he said.
He also dismissed suggestions that he was obligated to issue a formal assessment of Tinubu’s government, questioning why such expectations were placed on him.
“The one year is up, which means you have a right and I have a responsibility to respond when you call me on certain issues. But if you are saying that I would call a press conference and say: ‘One year is up, let us now make an assessment.”
“The only question I’d ask you is: ‘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?
“All it means is that one year is up. If I am around, and you want to get hold of me, I would speak. That’s all that statement meant.”
