Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has dismissed mounting pressure from Nigerians urging him to evaluate President Bola Tinubu’s administration, asserting that he will speak only when he deems it necessary.
Speaking on Channels Television’s *The Morning Brief on Monday, the outspoken literary icon rejected the idea that he should be bound by a predetermined timeline, such as Tinubu’s one-year mark in office.
“People should stop trying to work on my timetable for me,” Soyinka declared. “I had not swallowed an alarm clock.”
His comments come amid growing expectations that he would fulfill his December 2023 promise to assess Tinubu’s performance after a year in office. However, Soyinka dismissed the demand, arguing that governance critique is a collective responsibility and that other voices, such as activists Femi Falana and Omoyele Sowore, have been vocal.
“The one year is up, which means you have a right to ask, and I have a responsibility to respond. But if you expect me to call a press conference and say, ‘One year is up, let us now make an assessment’—did I do that with Jonathan? Did I do that with Buhari? Did I do that with Obasanjo? So, why is it expected of me?” he questioned.
His remarks are likely to spark debate, as many critics of Tinubu’s government accuse him of economic mismanagement, record-high inflation, and a deepening cost-of-living crisis. With the administration now approaching its second year, Soyinka’s refusal to weigh in formally has raised eyebrows, leaving Nigerians wondering whether the esteemed playwright will ever deliver the long-anticipated verdict on Tinubu’s leadership.
