Professor Wole Soyinka Calls Nigeria's Elections Vicious,unprincipled, vulgar and violent”.

Prof Wole Soyinka, Nobel Prize laureate, characterized Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly election
as “vicious, unprincipled, vulgar and violent”.

Te prominent Nigerian made his position known during the interview with The Guardian on March 29, Sunday.

“We’re talking about a very positive response by the public in terms of determination to register and vote but, you know, this has been one of the most vicious, unprincipled, vulgar and violent exercises I have ever witnessed.

“I just hope we won’t go down as being the incorrigible giant of Africa”

Soyinka continued with recalling the 1993 polls:

“The stakes appear to be so high that all scruples have been set aside and it’s very distressing to compare this election with the election of 1993, which was one of the most orderly, civilised and resolute elections we ever had. This one was like a no-holds-barred kind of election, especially, frankly, from the incumbency side. One shouldn’t be too surprised anyway given the kind of people who are manning the barricades for the incumbent candidate.”

The famous playwright lamented over the huge sums spent on the campaigns by the parties.

“Most expensive, most prodigal, wasteful, senseless, I mean really insensitive in terms of what people live on in this country.

“This was the real naira-dollar extravaganza, spent on just subverting, shall we say, the natural choices of people. Just money instead of argument, instead of position statements.

“And of course the sponsoring of violence in various places, in addition to this festive atmosphere in which every corner, every pillar, every electric pole is adorned with one candidate or the other, many of them in poses which remind one of Nollywood.”

Politically active Soyinka also disclosed that he had been some time ago invited by President Jonathan to discuss various issues of national importance and… GEJ’s possible defeat.

“It was difficult for me to decide from his side how readily he might accept defeat. He absolutely swore that if he lost he was going back to [his home] Otuoke village. If I take him literally, I think he will accept the result, but I’ve learned never to trust any politician from here to there, even if they’re just coming out of communion. So I really don’t know.”

Meanwhile Nigeria continues counting the votes. The INEC announced on Sunday evening that the final collation would start by 12 noon on Monday.

Photo Credit: CLEMENT EJIOFOR

Source: NAIJ