Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has indicated his intention to remain silent regarding the performance of Bola Tinubu’s administration for the time being. Soyinka made this announcement while responding to questions during an interview with a team from The NEWS magazine, which was conducted in celebration of his 90th birthday.
During the interview, the team asked Soyinka about his previous promise to comment on President Tinubu’s administration after it had completed one year in office. This promise was made during a visit to Tinubu in Lagos late last year. However, Soyinka indicated that he would not be fulfilling that promise at this time.
Soyinka acknowledged that there are many individuals eagerly awaiting his remarks on the Tinubu administration, potentially to criticize him. He expressed his intention to disappoint those individuals by choosing to remain silent for now. This decision appears to be a strategic one, as he hinted at a broader context of his interactions and experiences with critics.
In his explanation, Soyinka referenced a previous work of his, “Baiting Igbophobia,” where he recounted an incident involving his critics. According to Soyinka, these critics had instructed someone to confront him aggressively, regardless of their understanding of his statements. This encounter exemplified the persistent challenges he faces from those who seek to undermine his contributions.
Soyinka’s remarks during the interview shed light on his perspective towards criticism and his resilience in the face of opposition. His decision to withhold his comments on Tinubu’s administration reflects a calculated choice to navigate the complexities of public discourse and criticism.
He said: “If you read my Baiting Igbophobia, I narrate a conversation, which was transmitted to me, in which these people sent one of their marching orders to somebody that he should go and deal with me. The man said you know I don’t understand what Soyinka says.
“They told him, Who says you should understand? Any time he opens his mouth, jump in his throat. That’s the way they put it. I’m quoting them. And my response to that, of course, is that I have swallowed more toxic nonsense in my life, anybody who jumps in my throat I would swallow and excrete it in the rear end, and go back to my business normally!
