Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has expressed his belief that certain politicians within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should be held accountable for corrupt practices during their time in elected positions.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Soyinka, who is set to turn 90 in July, stated that he would personally investigate these politicians and call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to take action against them. While acknowledging President Bola Tinubu’s role as a resilient fighter during the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) days, Soyinka emphasized that he would not let past achievements overshadow his criticism or opinion on public issues.
He stressed the importance of holding individuals accountable for corruption, regardless of their past contributions, and called for the EFCC and ICPC to investigate those in Tinubu’s government who should be facing trial but currently hold influential positions within the ruling party.
Soyinka’s visit to Tinubu’s residence last December was seen as a separate matter from his stance on corruption.
Soyinka also expressed his concerns about a potential plot to undermine the 2023 presidential election. Reflecting on the 1993 election that was cancelled by former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, Soyinka emphasized that history seemed to be repeating itself as certain individuals were determined to take the country back to those tumultuous times. He alleged that there was a conspiracy from the very beginning to ensure that the elections did not take place, or if they did, that the outcome would be manipulated to resemble what occurred under Babangida’s regime.
Soyinka highlighted the sudden annulment of the election, despite the results being calculated and in possession of international bodies and monitoring embassies, as evidence of this alleged plot.
