Published 24th Aug, 2022

By Daniel Ojukwu

Between Monday and Tuesday, some Nigerians and Nigerian media platforms reported that Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian Nobel laureate, was not against the controversial All Progressives Congress (APC)’s same faith ticket.

The claim emanated after Soyinka granted an exclusive interview to Channels Television on Tuesday.

He discussed the controversial candidacy of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, presidential and vice presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Both men are Muslims.

CLAIM: Wole Soyinka supported the idea of Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election.

VERIFICATION: During the interview with Channels Television, Soyinka said he did not have an opinion on whether the president or vice president had the same religion.

“I don’t give a damn if the president, the vice president, the speaker, etc., all come from the same village, they have the same religion, they belong to the same tribe, if, however, it is transparently, absolutely unarguable that it is a kind of genius breed that has been donated to the nation and to the world. As long as the capability of the individuals who are into governance is proven, and it is quite clear that there is no alternative, that is my position.”

He, however, faulted the arrangement in a country like Nigeria, where people are divided along ethnic and religious lines.

“Now, we are talking about a society which is normal, which institutions are normal. Is Nigeria normal?” He asked.

He went on to say, “We’ve had unspoken arrangements in recognition of the peculiarity of this particular society. And so, it shouldn’t surprise you or me that a number of people find that kind of choice very questionable and unwise, especially at this time.

“I can understand that perfectly and at the same time, I recognise the right of the proposed incumbent to choose who he wants to run with if he gets ultimately into power. That is his right there. However, that right is not absolute because we are talking about a relative society which Nigeria is right now.

“And so, we are in a very difficult situation and the question I ask now is: why create a controversy? Are there options that should have prevented such a controversy? Why not be very sensitive to the very peculiar circumstances of Nigeria?”

CONCLUSION: Soyinka’s responses to the interview questions showed that though he would rate candidates’ competence over their religion, he is not in support of same faith ticket in Nigeria.

VERDICT: The claim that Soyinka supports Muslim-Muslim ticket is false and misleading.

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