25th December, 2023
By Ismail Abdulaziz
Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, has revealed that he presented a seven-point agenda toward moving Nigeria forward “in these trying periods” with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his visit to him in Lagos on Sunday.
Soyinka spoke in an interview with journalists in Lagos after visiting the President.
The Nobel laureate told journalists that though he would not want to fully disclose what he presented to Tinubu, a critical aspect was the need for his administration to respect the rule of law and adhere to the constitution of the land.
He added that the discussion also centred on the release of various Nigerians languishing in prison for standing on some personal principles.
He added that he is optimistic that something positive would be done about the incarceration of prisoners of consciousness across the country.
Soyinka said he is aware that the President may not be in the know of such cases due to the bureaucracy involved in governance.
“That is the reason behind making this request; that is the way to get results for legal breaches,” he said.
However, he said his assessment of Tinubu’s administration will come after one year in office.
Soyinka said that this had been his tradition with Tinubu’s predecessors over the years.
”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.
”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,” Soyinka said.