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Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, has dismissed demands for him to assess President Bola Tinubu’s administration, stating that he will speak when he deems it necessary.
During an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, March 24, Soyinka responded to calls urging him to fulfil his promise to evaluate Tinubu’s government after one year in office, a milestone reached on May 29, 2024.
“People should stop trying to work on my timetable for me,” Soyinka said. “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’ if there is nothing I feel like talking about and if I am busy elsewhere.”
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Soyinka had previously visited Tinubu at his Bourdillon residence in Lagos on December 24, 2023.
When asked at the time to share his thoughts on the administration, he stated that he would reserve his comments until after one year.
With the one-year mark now passed, expectations have risen for him to share his views, especially as Tinubu’s administration faces criticism over economic hardship, rising inflation, and a high cost of living.
However, Soyinka stressed that assessing any government is a collective effort and not solely his responsibility.
“Other people are doing the same; this is a collective effort,” he said, citing figures like human rights lawyer Femi Falana and activist Omoyele Sowore, who have been vocal about the administration’s policies.
He questioned why he was being singled out, asking, “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?”
Soyinka reaffirmed that while he acknowledges the public's right to seek his opinion, he will only speak when necessary, not on an imposed schedule.