Labour Party Declines Debate With Soyinka, Says It Will Mean Telling Him His Folly To The Face

Out of respect, Labour Party Vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed will not engage in a debate with Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka in order not to tell him his folly to the face, the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, LP-PCC said on Saturday evening.

The new stance follows earlier claims by the spokesman of the Obi-Datti Movement, Prof Chris Nwakobia that Datti Baba-Ahmed or even the least of the Obidients would gladly square off with Professor Soyinka in a debate that had earlier been canvassed by the Nobel laureate.

The campaign council in a statement issued by Chief spokesperson of the LP-PCC, Yunusa Tanko  said:

“Like many Nigerians we are bewildered by the late hour intervention of our respected Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka in issues around the flawed 2023 elections. Where was he all this while?

“One of those who should ordinarily and rightfully be honoured as the conscience of the nation, Prof. Soyinka is now criminalising dissent and infact weighing in on the side of fraud and injustice!

“We state therefore that the vice-presidential candidate of Labour Party, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed cannot take up Prof. Soyinka’s offer of a public debate, not out of cowardice, but for cultural and political reasons.

“Culturally it’s just not decent, their age and accomplishment gaps taken into account, for Datti to sit opposite the 88 year-old global icon and point out his folly to his face, even if the old man called for it. And politically there is no basis for such a challenge in that Prof. is not on any of the opposite ballots.

“If however he can use his influence to drag his preferred candidates, who resisted debates throughout the campaign, to the studio this second, Datti says he is more than willing to take them on,” Tanko said.

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