Nigerian NewsPolitics

I asked Atiku, Tinubu to retire so younger candidate can govern – Wole Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka reveals he advised the candidates of the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party, Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar respectively, to step down for the younger generation.

He made this known while featuring on the Arise Television morning show on Wednesday, April 5th.

Soyinka said when Atiku visited him at his office in the company of Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun state, he told the PDP flagbearer that it was time to retire.

According to the playwright, he also gave the same message to Tinubu after he reached out to the president-elect.

“When Atiku came to my office in Ikeja, he came with Gbenga Daniel, my former governor. I said to him listen is 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.

“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,” Soyinka said.