Soyinka Declines Calls To Review Tinubu’s Administration Performance

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, has turned down claims to assess the President Bola Tinubu administration.

It is worth recalling that on December 24, 2023, Soyinka stated that he would assess Tinubu’s government after the administration gets to one year in office.

According to Soyinka, he usually gives a president one year to be steady because the government often takes off from “lower than ground zero”.

However, the President Tinubu administration is getting to its second-year mark on May 29, there has been lots of public outcry concerning the present economic hardship in the country and increase in inflation.

Soyinka, speaking on Monday on ‘The Morning Brief’, a Channels Television programme, enjoined those asking him to assess the administration to let him be.

“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,” he said.

“This business of you have not come to do this, I do not understand it.”

According to the playwright, assessing any government is a collective responsibility.

“Other people are doing the same; this is a collective effort. The Falanas, the Baiyewus, speak consistently. The Sowores come out and try to lead demonstrations,” he added.

“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 would 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.”