"One Thing Which Distresses Me": Soyinka Opens Up on Criticising Tinubu

• Professor Wole Soyinka has clarified the notion that he would not be criticising the administration of President Bola Tinubu
• The Nobel Prize winner, in an interview, said he only stated that he has the culture of sparing every new administration their first year because they are new
• Soyinka recalled that he was confronted with a similar scenario when former President Olusegun Obasanjo was inaugurated, and his one-year silence was termed as being tribalistic

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Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian playwright and Nobel Prize winner, has faulted how Nigerians simplify his response on whether he will criticise the government of President Bola Tinubu or not.

In an interview with Channels Television, Soyinka expressed his displeasure with the manner in which the press simplifies interviewees' responses, adding that it is "one thing which distresses me."

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Soyinka recalled how he was tagged tribalist when Obasanjo became president

The literary icon maintained that he had the culture of maintaining decorum for the first year of any government before coming out to criticise the government. He stressed that his relationship with Tinubu would not stop him from criticising his government if there was a need to do so.

According to the octogenarian, he was thrown the same question when former President Olusegun Obasanjo was first inaugurated in 1999. He was criticised for keeping quiet, and many simplified his silence as being tribalistic because Obasanjo was his kinsman.

He maintained that after one year of Obasanjo in office and he began his criticism, many did not remember referring to him as tribalistic.

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Why I will not criticise what Falana had criticised, Wole Soyinka

The Nobel Prize holder also maintained that he would not be commenting on matters that the likes of Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria, have dived into because he was not always in Nigeria to be able to criticise every wrongdoing of the government.

Seyinka's comment reads in part:

"The question I was asked was the assessment of the President and what I think of this administration so far, and I said I have the habit of not commenting on an administration during the first year."

Soyinka: "Before I'm 100, I'll be going to Stockholm"

Legit.ng earlier reported that Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Prize winner, wished to travel to Stockholm before he clocks 100 years to celebrate another Nigerian winning the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In an interview, Soyinka urged that young writers should not just publish once and relax, adding that consistency is key to getting to the world stage.

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The octogenarian posited that the writing world is competitive and that females are taking the lead.

Source: Legit.ng