NOBEL laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday broke his silence on the zoning controversy, saying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) arrangement should not be equated to a national agenda.

Soyinka spoke to reporters in Akure, the Ondo State capital, saying the issue of where the president should come from is a matter for the political party, which should not be subjected to national discourse.

He said: “The press should stop making the internal policy of a political party to be the policy of the nation. There is this habit in the media which try to turn the internal practices of a particular party to mean the constitutional rights of the nation. That is wrong.”

Also, he asked Nigerians to await the results of the 2011 general elections before condemning the approach towards the poll.

He said “President Goodluck Jonathan seemed determined to make the elections free and fair hence the people should watch and see how he wished to achieve that.

“He (Jonathan) seems determined that the elections will be free and fair. The decorations are marvelous, but we are waiting to see the results,” he said.

While delivering his lecture, Soyinka said a better way to promote and nurture democracy in the country was for the people to respect and uphold their traditional culture.

The nobel laureate, who paid glowing tributes to the late Chief Bola Ige and a celebrated Yoruba literature icon, the late D.O Fagunwa, noted with concern that lack of respect for the traditional values was affecting democracy in the country.

Rather than questioning the source of sudden wealth of certain individuals in the society, Soyinka regretted that people ended up celebrating them and electing them into positions of authorities.

He also said the use of thugs to scuttle or disrupt election process, kidnappings and all forms of social insecurity which was yet to be tackled by government was a threat to the nation’s democracy.

He said: “After about three decades of military rule in the country, the civilian administrations in the last 11 years was yet to restore civility to our system”

“Despite the rich traditional culture of the various tribes which frowns at celebrating mediocrity, the architects of our woes in the country are currently being celebrated.”

Soyinka did not mention names of individuals, he however, stated that majority of them who should be in jail are now major players in the nation’s political sphere.

By Babatope Okeowo & David Akinjagunla, Akure




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