Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has declared that he will not be pressured into publicly assessing President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Soyinka emphasized that he would only evaluate the government when he deemed it necessary, not under external pressure.
The literary icon was responding to critics who accused him of failing to fulfill his promise to give an opinion on Tinubu’s government one year after its inauguration.
“People should stop trying to work on my timetable for me. I have not swallowed an alarm clock,” Soyinka said. “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.”
He further stressed that assessing a government was a collective responsibility, highlighting the efforts of other activists and commentators.
“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.
Soyinka questioned why he was being singled out for a public assessment, noting that he had never followed such a pattern with past administrations.
“The one-year mark means you have a right to ask, and I have a responsibility to respond when you call me on certain issues. But if you expect me to call a press conference and say, ‘One year is up, let’s make an assessment,’ I’d ask—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 now?”
He concluded by stating that while he remains open to speaking on national issues, his commentary will be on his own terms.
