‘It’s Not Decent To Point His Folly To His Face’ – Datti Ahmed Rejects Soyinka’s Debate Challenge

The Obi-Datti Media Office has rejected calls from Professor Wole Soyinka challenging the Labour Party (LP) vice presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed to a live debate.

The statement rejecting Soyinka’s challenge said it would be wrong for Baba-Ahmed to sit and point out the folly of the Professor’s position to him.

The Obi-Datti media office in a statement on Saturday, signed by its head of media, Diran Onifade further pointed out that the attempted intervention of Prof Soyinka in the issues surrounding the 2023 presidential election is coming too late.

The Labour Party camp however said Baba-Ahmed would be willing to engage Soyinka’s preferred presidential candidates, who he accused of resisting debates throughout the campaign period.

Naija News recalls Soyinka had challenged the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed to a TV debate over his stand on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

Soyinka who openly disagreed with the position of Baba-Ahmed also questioned the attitude of the Labour Party supporters popularly referred to as obidients.

He then went ahead to challenge the Labour Party vice presidential candidate to a one-on-one debate on the matter.

However, in a response to the challenge, the Datti-Ahmed camp has rejected the debate.

Below is the full statement rejecting the debate challenge.

“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 criminalizing 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.”