Handover crisis: Aondoakaa lied, Soyinka tells CNN
By James Azania and Gbenga Adeniji, Published: Wednesday, 10 Feb 2010





Wole Soyinka


Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday told the world via the Cable News Network that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, lied with his claim that the government was running smoothly, even with President Umaru Yar‘Adua‘s absence.

Soyinka, on a programme anchored by Christiane Amanpour, said, ”Let me begin by saying that as I sit here, I am astonished that somebody in a responsible position like Aondoakaa can talk “from all all four compass points of mouth. He has told so many untruths. He suggests for instance that there is no breakdown in the amnesty procedure. That is a lie everybody knows that.

“He is now blaming the impasse on different causes from what he said before. He said and he said it publicly that there was no need to be excited for the President could rule from anywhere in the world.”

On the programme in which CNN described Nigeria as a country “in trouble,” Soyinka also said that the resolution of the Senate which declared Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan the Acting President posed a big challenge.

Describing the ruling Peoples Democratic Party as corrupt, Soyinka said the party was not ready for change.

Lamenting what he described as the unfortunate situation which prevented Yar‘Adua from transmitting a letter to the National Assembly before he left the country, Soyinka said this was enough indication that Yar’Adua was really incapacitated.

He also said he doubted the authenticity of the President‘s signature which was said to have been obtained from his sick bed in Saudi Arabia.

Soyinka said, ”We were there for instance and we asked them at the rally and other rallies; we demanded that the constitution demands very clearly that when the President is going to be away it is a very smooth temporary transition either on sickly or annual leave, my deputy takes over and when he returns…

“I have met Yar‘Adua, he is not a stupid man. He is a very intelligent man and he knows what he ought to have done. But unfortunately, I think by the time he realised that he was very ill, it was too late for him to do anything. He has become incapacitated. That is why I don‘t believe for instance that he signed the Appropriation bill.”

Speaking on the decision of the Senate which on Tuesday recognised Jonathan as acting President, Soyinka said, ”It‘s a major challenge for Jonathan if indeed he becomes the substantive President. I met with the Aaron team in 2007, and personally with the President, and he outlined a programme and it is left to Jonathan to pick up where Yar‘Adua left off. Too much time has been wasted; the militants are cynical and disgusted.”

Asked on the way forward for the country, Soyinka said Nigerians might need to resort to civil disobedience in order to compel the PDP-led government to do the right thing.

He added, “Let‘s hope it doesn‘t go the way the ruling party wants it to go. It is an illegitimate and corrupt party, which was not elected into office in the first place. It is the civil society now which has to rise and put a stop to the machinations of the PDP.

“Don‘t forget that part of the plans of the PDP is of course to perpetuate itself by making sure that there is no electoral reforms, which incidentally Yar‘Adua has put

“Yar‘Adua himself has put things on hold. It would be left to the civil society to embark on civil disobedience, unless this set of legislators is ready to do what is right.”

On how the United States could assist in solving the political crisis in Nigeria, Soyinka said, ”Putting pressure on the members of the ruling party, Jonathan, whatever title he is given; removing irresponsible ministers like Aondoakaa, and applying more moral pressure. This is a make or mar period, and helping moving the Uwais panel.”

Aondoakaa, who spoke with the CNN first, had declared that the President‘s sickness and his abscence from the country for more than two months had not affected governance.

He said, “We followed the constitution in all that we did and I do not believe that we are in a crisis.

”No, no, we are not in crisis. We followed procedures. The vice-president spoke with the President three weeks ago.”

Asked if the vice-president had set his eyes on Yar‘Adua since he left the country, Aondoakaa admitted that Jonathan had not seen the President.


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