Election: Soyinka advises Tinubu, Obi, and others to send their spokespersons on vacation

During an interview on the programme "Roadmap 2023" on Channels Television, Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has called for the leading presidential candidates in the just-concluded election

in Nigeria to take responsibility for the divisive narratives that are impacting the country. He believes that Nigeria can still achieve a successful democratic process if it starts to do things right.

Soyinka noted that while there were some appearances of a level playing field during the election, the electoral process was still ongoing until the final pronouncement is made. He called for a return to the moment when Nigeria had a common purpose during the June 12 demonstrations, which demonstrated that the country knew what democracy is and how to practice it. He also stressed that Nigeria had agreed to take back its political volition and get rid of the military regime, and it could still come back to that moment with this election.

Soyinka believes that the first step towards achieving this is for all political parties to send their spokespersons on vacation and speak in their own voices. He cited a recent pronouncement from one of the leading party's spokespersons on the wake of ethnic profiling in Lagos, which he found disappointing. He described the spokesperson as a lawyer who should be using his education to pour oil on troubled waters.

In conclusion, Soyinka called on all political parties to take responsibility for their actions and to work towards creating a peaceful and united Nigeria.