Professor Wole Soyinka says he is not ready to assess President Bola Tinubu’s government.
He added that he would share his views only when the time is right.
Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka says he is not yet ready to publicly evaluate President Bola Tinubu’s administration, explaining that his previous remarks have often been misrepresented by the media and the public.
In an interview with BBC News Yoruba published on Tuesday, the 91-year-old playwright and social critic said he prefers to take his time before making any assessment of the government. Speaking in Yoruba, Soyinka noted that every comment he makes is frequently twisted, adding that he has decided to withhold his opinion for now.
“I have been asked that question by several people,” he said. “I don’t want to answer because it seems as if there’s nothing one says that won’t be twisted, and I’m tired of that. So, I want to take my time. When it’s time, I will write my view on that.”
Soyinka, known for his fearless criticism of successive Nigerian administrations, has in the past condemned the governments of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and the late Muhammadu Buhari. However, more than two years into President Tinubu’s tenure, the Nobel laureate has yet to issue a public assessment of his government.
In earlier interviews, Soyinka was outspoken about insecurity under the Buhari administration, saying it had failed Nigerians. By 2021, he admitted he had stopped discussing Buhari’s leadership entirely, saying it was better for his “sanity” to avoid commenting on it.
Soyinka also spoke about the recent revocation of his U.S. visa, revealing that he has no intention of reapplying despite being invited to do so by the U.S. Consulate in Lagos. He described the situation humorously, saying he told embassy officials to come to his home if they wanted to stamp his passport.
“They are jokers,” Soyinka said. “I should take my passport to those who revoked my visa? I told them they should come to my house, take the passport themselves, and stamp it.”
During a media briefing in Lagos last week, Soyinka announced that his B1/B2 U.S. visa had been revoked without explanation. The U.S. Mission in Nigeria later clarified that visa decisions remain at the discretion of the American government and may be withdrawn at any time.
