I had not swallowed an alarm clock to assess Tinubu’s govt -Soyinka

By Clement Adeyi, Abuja

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has told Nigerians not to persuade him to assess President Bola Tinubu’s government after one year in office which elapsed on May 29 last year.

Wole Soyinka

He noted that he would do so only when he had anything to say about the administration.

He insisted that he was not under pressure to assess Tinubu’s administration since he did not assess the administrations of his predecessors such as Muhammadu Buhari, Goodluck Jonathan as well as Olusegun Obasanjo.

He spoke on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Monday.

People should stop trying to work on my timetable for me

“People should stop trying to work on my timetable for me,” the nonagenarian
said.

“I had not swallowed an alarm clock,” Soyinka said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Monday.

“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.”

On Sunday, December 24, 2023, Soyinka had paid a visit to Tinubu at his Bourdillon residence in Ikoyi area of Lagos.

I had not swallowed an alarm clock

When asked to assess Tinubu’s administration which started on May 29, 2023, the Nobel laureate said he would reserve his comments about Tinubu’s government till after one year, in May 2024.

“This business of ‘you haven’t come to do this’, I don’t understand it. Other people are doing the same; this is a collective effort. The Falanas speak consistently. The Baiyewus speak consistently. The Sowores come out and try to lead demonstrations. It’s a collective effort.

“The one year is up which means you have a right and I have a responsibility to respond when you call me on certain issues. But if you are saying that I would call a press conference and say: ‘One year is up, let us now make an assessment.”

“The only question I’d ask you is: ‘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?

The only question I’d ask you is: ‘Did I do that with Jonathan

“All it means is that one year is up. If I am around, and you want to get hold of me, I would speak. That’s all that statement meant.”