Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has made it clear—he’s not working on anyone’s schedule when it comes to speaking about President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Responding to those reminding him of his promise to assess Tinubu’s government after its first year in office, Soyinka dismissed the pressure, stating that he would speak when he had something meaningful to say.
“I had not swallowed an alarm clock,” he remarked during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday. “I don’t see why I should set my alarm and say, ‘One year has passed, now I must make an assessment,’ if there is nothing I feel like talking about.”
As economic concerns grow under Tinubu’s leadership—with inflation soaring and the cost of living at an all-time high—many expected Soyinka to weigh in. However, he argued that assessing a government is a shared responsibility, emphasizing that voices like Femi Falana, journalists, and activists are already actively speaking out.
“The one-year mark simply means people have a right to ask questions, and I have a responsibility to respond if I choose to,” he explained. “But if you expect me to hold a press conference just because a year has passed, I ask—did I do that with Jonathan? With Buhari? With Obasanjo? Why is it now expected of me?”
Soyinka reaffirmed that he will speak on national matters when the time is right, but not because of external pressure.
