Nobel laureate Soyinka slams Datti for controversial comments

Renowned Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has spoken out against a statement made by Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice presidential candidate for the Labour Party.

Soyinka addressed the matter during an appearance on Arise TV on Wednesday, April 05, 2023, describing Baba-Ahmed's comments as unbecoming and stating that he had never heard such language used for blackmail.

He went on to say that such do-or-die provocation is not what the people of Nigeria have been struggling for, and that it goes against the principles of democracy.

“I have never heard the kind of blackmailing language that were used by Mr Datti.

“That kind of attitude, that kind of do-or-die provocation is not what I think we have been all struggling for.”

What Datti Baba-Ahmed said

During an interview with Channels Television, Baba-Ahmed stated that swearing in President-elect Bola Tinubu on May 29th could mean the end of democracy in Nigeria.

The statement has sparked controversy throughout the country, with some of Tinubu's supporters calling for Baba-Ahmed's arrest.

Soyinka's condemnation of Baba-Ahmed's statement adds to the ongoing conversation surrounding the upcoming inauguration of Bola Tinubu as the country's president-elect.