By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
NOBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has disclosed what he told Atiku Abubakar and Bola Ahmed Tinubu before Nigerians 2023 general elections held in February and March.
Soyinka spoke while featuring on the Arise Television morning show on Wednesday.
He said he advised the 2023 Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to quit the stage and allow for fresh blood, but they refused. step down for the younger generation.
Stonix News recalled that Tinubu was declared winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of Atiku, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
Atiku and Obi have since headed to the courts to challenge Tinubu’s victory.
Isara-born Octogenarian said “When Atiku came to my office in Ikeja, he came with Gbenga Daniel, my former governor.
“I said to him ‘listen it’s about the time you people left the stage. Why don’t you just go away? We need an infusion of fresh blood into the system,” Soyinka said.
“For some people, maybe they read it as blood-letting, no I said, ‘an infusion of fresh blood.’ I said ‘so I cannot support you. I think your generation should really quit.’
“He was not the only one. I then sought out the current President-elect, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and I gave him exactly the same message.
“I said ‘whatever you people are planning, I am convinced that when a younger generation, new thinking, new sensibility, new energies, so why don’t you just leave the seat.’
‘Let’s look for somebody who is a really brilliant individual and use your influence to catapult that person to power. And this country will see a massive transformation.’
“We spoke for about one and a half hours, and then Bola Tinubu said ‘no.’ He said there were still things he could contribute.”
