I Did Not Endorse Tinubu- Wole Soyinka

Nobel Prize winner, Professor Wole Soyinka, has refuted claims of endorsing Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate for All Progressives Congress (APC).

Soyinka’s media team issued a statement to the public to ignore any information concerning his negative comments on political parties and politicians. The statement read in part: “Soyinka did NOT at any time or on any occasion issue such a statement.

“It is simply the work of peddles of fake news and falsehood, who profit from misinformation to gain political advantages,” the statement reads.

Recall that a social media post indicated that Soyinka is prepared to engage in combat with any individual who supports Tinubu’s bid for presidency.

The alleged statement read: “Quote me anywhere; Nigerians don’t need the like of Atiku and Obasanjo to lead them again. We have tested the two: Atiku is corrupt, and Obasanjo is a liar. Both of them are greedy and self-centred.

“Anybody, any cabal, any Viju milk activist, attempting to humiliate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu must have me to contend with.

“An average PDP man is angry with Asiwaju because he brought them to their knees. If anyone thinks that bringing down Asiwaju is his project, that mission will not only crash but it will boomerang.”

But in a post on his social media account on Sunday, February 19, 2023, Soyinka said that the statement was false and made up by people with a fake news agenda.

Recall that in August, PBA reported that Soyinka said it does not matter if Nigeria’s next president, vice-president, and speaker of the House of Representatives are all from the same village and religion.

“I don’t give a damn if the president, the vice-President, the speaker, etc all come from the same village, they have the same religion, they belong to the same tribe,” Soyinka said when asked about his thoughts on the controversy that has trailed the Muslim-Muslim All Progressives Congress presidential ticket.

Somto Bisina