Labour Party Vice Presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has declined the offer by Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for an open debate
In the statement on Saturday by the Head of
the Obi-Datti Media Office, Diran Onifade, Baba-Ahmed 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?
Baba-Ahmed expressed concern over Prof.
Soyinka's "late hour intervention" in the electoral process, asking
where the renowned scholar had been all along. He also accused Prof. Soyinka of
"criminalizing dissent" and supporting "fraud and injustice",
despite being widely considered as the conscience of the nation.
Baba-Ahmed clarified that his refusal to
engage in a public debate with Prof. Soyinka was not due to cowardice, but
rather cultural and political reasons. He stated that it would be inappropriate
for him, a younger politician, to publicly confront the 88-year-old global
icon, given their age and accomplishment gaps.
Furthermore, Baba-Ahmed noted that there was
no basis for such a challenge, as Prof. Soyinka was not on any opposing ballot.
However, he expressed a willingness to engage in a debate with the preferred
candidates of Prof. Soyinka, who had previously resisted debates throughout the
campaign.
The statement read, "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."
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