The Vice Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, “cannot take up Professor Wole Soyinka’s offer of a public debate, not out of cowardice, but for cultural and political reasons.”
Head of the Obi-Datti Media Office, Diran Onifade, said in a statement on Saturday that the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council is bewildered that Soyinka, who is “one of those who should ordinarily and rightfully be honoured as the conscience of the nation,”…”is now criminalising dissent and in fact weighing in on the side of fraud and injustice!”
Explaining why it is rejecting the debate offer, the Media Office said: “Culturally it’s just not decent, their age and accomplishment gaps taken into account, for Datti to sit opposite the 88 year-old global icon and point out his folly to his face, even if the old man called for it.
“And politically there is no basis for such a challenge in that Prof. is not on any of the opposite ballots.”
But the Media Office said that if Soyinka can “use his influence to drag his preferred candidates who resisted debates throughout the campaign to the studio this second, Datti is more than willing to take them on.”
The full statement reads: “Like many Nigerians we are bewildered by the late hour intervention of our respected Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka in issues around the flawed 2023 elections. Where was he all this while?
“One of those who should ordinarily and rightfully be honoured as the conscience of the nation, Prof. Soyinka is now criminalising dissent and infact weighing in on the side of fraud and injustice!
“We state therefore that the Vice Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed cannot take up Prof. Soyinka’s offer of a public debate, not out of cowardice, but for cultural and political reasons.
“Culturally it’s just not decent, their age and accomplishment gaps taken into account, for Datti to sit opposite the 88 year-old global icon and point out his folly to his face, even if the old man called for it.
“And politically there is no basis for such a challenge in that Prof. is not on any of the opposite ballots.
“If however he can use his influence to drag his preferred candidates, who resisted debates throughout the campaign, to the studio this second, Datti says he is more than willing to take them on.”
