Prof. Wole Soyinka has weighed in on the 2023 general elections and the rhetoric of political actors.
The Nobel laureate, who appeared on Mondayās edition of Channels Televisionās Roadmap 2023, described the elections as ānot exactly the most edifying exercise that weāve been through.ā
Stating that he was out of the country for some months, Soyinka shared his insight on the politics-speak that took hold while he was away.
āOn arriving, I came in for the World Poetry Day, and immediately, I was bombarded by the most horrendous narratives both pre and after the elections,ā he said.
Also Read: Tinubu is peopleās choice ā Toyin Abraham
āSince then, Iāve also read columns; Iāve seen Nigerian papers for the first time in months and I didnāt like what I read at all.
āMy trust has broken down completely and even the minimum restraint that weāve learnt to expect from seasoned politicians have been jettisoned completely.ā
The literary icon noted that he preferred not to make comments on the electoral process as he was away, though he says it does not mean he was ignorant of what was happening on the home front.
In his estimation, the nation was moving towards a situation, which he says was not planned, but one that happened fortuitously where the existing mould was going to be broken.
āAnd the signs were there that there would be die-hard opposition to the breaking of that mould,ā he said. āElections should be keenly contested. But I still believe very much in what I call the Fashola Dictum.ā
Soyinka quoted former Governor Babatunde Fashola, now Minister of Works and Housing, as once saying elections should be like festivals.
āThey should be yet another aspect of the festive spirit of humanity ā and this was anything but festive,ā he said.
Discover more from News Round The Clock
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.