The Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu exhibited trait of stubbornness to become the number one citizen of Nigeria, recalling that he ignored his (Soyinka) advice not to contest the presidency
Penpushing reports that Soyinka made this known while speaking with State House Correspondents after his visit to Tinubu in Lagos,adding that he would assess Tinubu’s performance after one year in office, which known to be his policy of assessing former leaders
‘We met last five years ago and it was an embarrassing visit because I went to tell him not to run for office. I told him and Atiku to leave the stage for young people. I call him “Olori Kunkun” which means the stubborn one. He ignored my advice completely’, Soyinka recalled.
Penpushing further reports that the renowned poet and author who described his visit as embarrassing explained that the visit was to find out how he(Tinubu) is fairing adding that he presented a seven-point agenda to the President toward moving the country forward in these trying periods.
‘I came to see him to find out how he is doing after neglecting my advice. I wanted to see how he and his wife are faring. I also came to wish them a merry Christmas. You know we are old friends. And it was as a friend that I told him ‘don’t run,” he said.
“Well, you know, something you may have noticed about me is that most heads of state, when they take office, I always leave them alone for about the first year…Because they need time.I know when they come in, they don’t start from ground zero. They often start even lower than ground zero and they have to make up. So, I’m adopting the same principle this time. When you see me next year, ask the same question again and listen to my answer,” he explained.
Penpushing also reports that Soyinka said he would not want to disclose what he presented, but added that a critical aspect was that of respect for the rule of law and adherence to the constitution of the land.
The Nobel Laureate added that the discussion also centred on the release of various Nigerians languishing in prison for standing on some personal principles, expressing optimism that something positive would be done about the incarceration of prisoners of consciousness across the country.
Penpushing reports that Soyinka said he is aware that the president may not be in the know of such cases due to the bureaucracy involved in governance, explaining that that was the reason behind making the request; and that is the way to get results for legal breaches
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