Politics

I Told Atiku, Tinubu, Others To Quit For Fresh Energies — Soyinka

Published

3 years ago

April 5, 2023

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, said he told the presidential candidates of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Atiku Abubakar and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, respectively, that they should leave the stage for fresh energies to assume the helm of affairs in Nigeria.

Soyinka disclosed this while speaking in an interview with Arise TV today, Wednesday.

He said: “I told Atiku when he was contesting and came to see me in my Ikeja office few years ago; he came with Gbenga Daniel, my former governor (of Ogun state).

“I said to him, ‘Listen, it’s about time you people left the stage, why don’t you just go away. We need an infusion of fresh blood into the system’.

“But, for some people, maybe they read it as bloodletting. No I said infusion of fresh blood. I said so I can not support you. I think your generation should quit.

“But, he wasn’t the only one. I then sought out the current President-elect, Tinubu and I gave him exactly the same message.

“I said, ‘Whatever you people are planning, I’m convinced that we need the young generation, new thinking, new sensibilities, new energies’.

“So, why don’t you just leave the stage, let’s look for somebody, a really brilliant individual then use your entire influence to catapult that person to power, and this country will see a massive transformation.

“We spoke for about an hour and a half, and then Bola Tinubu said, ‘No’. He said there were still things he felt he could still contribute,” Soyinka said.

Recall that the Nobel laureate had earlier said he also warned the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi on the excesses of the his supporters, otherwise known as ‘Obidients’.

Soyinka stated this in a statement titled, “Media responsibility” on Tuesday.

The elder statesman said his recent interview with Channels Television was misrepresented, with his remarks rendered unrecognisable.

The TV station had aired a one and half-hour interview with Soyinka a week ago on Monday.

Soyinka maintained that his rejection of fascism wasn’t new and that on three occasions, he was able to send a message to Obi, that, if he lost the election, it would be his followers who lost it for him.

He stated, “What I have read – at least, thus far – this morning, extracted from a one-and-a-half long interview, conducted a week ago with Channels Television, brings once more to the fore, the critical responsibility of the media in transmitting the spoken, even recorded – word to the public.

“This is especially crucial in a time of civic uncertainty. When remarks are taken out of context, spliced into a new one, provided a sensational headline, distortions become stamped on public receptivity, and the central intent of one’s remarks becomes completely unrecognisable.

“I denounced the menacing utterances of a vice-presidential aspirant as unbecoming. It was a gladiatorial challenge directed at the judiciary and, by implication, the rest of the democratic polity.

“But what on earth has happened to my even more urgent condemnation of the physical violence inflicted on those designated ‘strangers’ in Lagos in the lead up to, and during governorship elections?

“This prejudicial selectivity is a betrayal of trust, and I find it contemptuous of public deserving. My critique of incipient fascism in the movement remains grounded in indisputable evidence.”

Soyinka stated that throughout the interview, he continued to stress that the final word had yet to be pronounced on the elections – “that omission renders the full message tendentious!”

“My rejection of fascism is nothing new. It was depressing to watch his lieutenant, a crucially positioned voice of a movement that has ‘broken the mould’, threaten the totality of social existence.

“Whatever our ideological leaning, is Donald Trump the ideal template for a burgeoning democracy in the nation?”

He stated that he also remained concerned about the alleged complaint by him of people not following “instructions”.

“If words are garbled in recording, the speaker can be reached for clarification – else, simply leave out the unclear section completely to avoid misrepresentation.

“After all, piecemeal transmission is legitimate proceeding, as long as a part is not presented as the whole.

“I am not a member of the Labour Party, so how can giving ‘instructions’ become my role?

“Like a number of others, I have admittedly contributed to the making of this moment – going back several years – and it is painful to have the followers of such a movement, send it slithering backwards and down the fascistic slope, ” Soyinka said.

Related Topics:#Tinubu Atiku Obi Soyinka

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Politics

VIDEO: Akpabio, Oshiomhole Clash Amid 2027 Intrigues

Published

10 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

What began as a routine legislative procedure on Wednesday spiralled into a high-voltage confrontation in the Senate, as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole engaged in a dramatic face-off that exposed simmering political tensions tied to the 2027 power game.

The immediate trigger was procedural: Oshiomhole attempted to raise a point of order just as Akpabio moved to confirm the Votes and Proceedings of the previous sitting.

But the refusal of the Senate President to recognise him—despite repeated shouts of “point of order!”—quickly transformed the moment into a charged standoff.

Oshiomhole appeared determined to be heard, repeatedly interrupting proceedings in a manner that unsettled the chamber.

Attempts by Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno to restore calm failed, as the Edo North senator pressed on.

In a stern and calculated response, Akpabio asserted his authority, invoking the Senate Standing Orders and reading out provisions that underline his sweeping powers to control debate, interpret rules, and discipline erring lawmakers.

“The rules and laws governing the Senate Chamber… are clearly defined,” he said, before reeling off his constitutional and procedural powers.
He did not stop there.

“Let me be clear… many people may not have seen this order,” Akpabio added pointedly, in remarks that drew murmurs across the chamber.

As the exchange intensified, he issued a direct warning: any senator who becomes unruly would be asked to leave.

“This is the final warning,” he declared but beneath the surface, the clash carried deeper political undertones.

Multiple sources within the National Assembly suggest Oshiomhole’s insistence on raising a point of order may not have been merely procedural.

The former Edo State Governor is widely believed to be nursing ambitions for the Senate Presidency in 2027 and Wednesday’s confrontation is being interpreted in some quarters as an early signal of discontent with the current power structure.

At the heart of the tension is a controversial amendment to Senate rules, which critics say has effectively narrowed the 2027 Senate Presidency race to a select circle of insiders—years before the first vote is cast.
For figures like Oshiomhole, the development is said to be deeply unsettling.

Insiders claim the amendments are part of a broader political calculation to shape the leadership of the next National Assembly.

According to multiple accounts, the move is allegedly backed by powerful interests within the ruling establishment seeking to ensure that the Senate leadership remains firmly aligned with the executive arm.

Critics argue that the strategy is designed to shut out independent or unpredictable contenders, preempt internal rebellion, and ultimately shield the executive from robust legislative scrutiny.

Within this context, Wednesday’s drama is being viewed less as a spontaneous breakdown of order and more as a clash rooted in control, ambition, and the future leadership of the Senate.

To some observers, Akpabio’s firm handling of the situation was a necessary assertion of order.

To others, it signalled the use of institutional authority to silence dissent at a politically sensitive moment.

Either way, the explosive exchange has laid bare a Senate increasingly defined not just by lawmaking—but by high-stakes maneuvering ahead of 2027.

Watch the video here

Politics

JUST IN: Former APC National Youth Leader Dumps Party

Published

12 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Sadiq Abubakar, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Youth Leader has announced his decision to dump the ruling party.

Abubakar who disclosed this in an interview with Newsmen in Bauchi on Wednesday, explained that his decision was unconnected with the hardship faced by many Nigerian homes due to difficult policies and programmes by the APC.

According to him, the move was also driven by an objective of securing free and fair victory in future election primaries so as to continue to serve the people with strength and integrity.

He stated that his decision followed a series of consultations with family, friends, political associates and stakeholders saying this was after a careful reflection on recent developments within the party structure and internal arrangements.

“It is high time to adopt a party with a more clear vision and the compassion to help the common man.

“The APC processes are not working, the party is not just and fair. I’m leaving the party because there is no fairness in the electoral processes of the party as well as the consensus.

“And I know that they are not going to be fair in the forthcoming primaries but they will only use the power of incumbency.

“Also, what the party is doing to every family is becoming something else as it’s becoming too hard to put a three square meal on the table,” he said.

The Former APC National Youth Leader however, affirmed that he would soon reveal the new political party of his destination in no distant time.

Politics

Defection: Peter Obi Simply Looking For ‘Food Is Ready’ Party – Wike

Published

18 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe on former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent defection.

Speaking during a media parley on Wednesday, Wike said Obi is looking for a ‘food is ready’ political party.

The minister said, “Obi was in APGA, he couldn’t build APGA. He went to Labour, he ran away again from Labour. All he’s looking for is food is ready political party.”

Recall that Obi and Rabi’u Kwankwaso, former presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, on Sunday officially joined the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.