April 08, (THEWILL) – The Obi-Datti Media Office has declined an invitation to a live television debate by Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, to Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).
This came after Soyinka challenged Baba-Ahmed to a one-on-one debate following reactions that trailed his criticisms of the LP’s vice-presidential candidate, over his remarks during an interview on Channels Television.
Baba-Ahmed had, in the interview, said “Whoever swears in the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu” has “ended democracy” in Nigeria.
But, Soyinka, in a statement titled “Fascism on Course”, on Friday, challenged the LP’s vice-presidential candidate to a debate.
“If Channels feel up to it, I offer myself willing to engage Mr Datti – or any nominee of his – on its platform on this very bone of contention – one-on-one – without the malodorous intervention of media trolls, and with the same interviewer as mediator. That should be taken as a serious offer,” Soyinka said.
Reacting to Soyinka’s open challenge, Spokesperson of the Media Office, Tanko Yunusa, in a statement on Saturday, said for cultural and political reasons, Baba-Ahmed will not accept the challenge to face Soyinka.
The statement read: “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 in fact, 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.”
