The vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the just concluded 2023 presidential election, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has rejected a challenge for open debate by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka.
Mr Soyinka had challenged Mr Baba-Ahmed to an open debate, following attacks on him by the supporters of the Labour Party candidates.
But in a statement issued by the head of the Obi-Datti media team, Diran Onifade, said Mr Baba-Ahmed rejected the offer “not out of cowardice, but for cultural and political reasons.”
The statement read, “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?
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“One of those who should ordinarily and rightfully be honoured as the conscience of the nation, Prof. Soyinka, is now criminalising 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.”
Mr Onifade, however, asked Mr Soyinka to present his preferred presidential candidate, who shunned debates during the campaign, for a one-on-one with the LP vice-presidential candidate.
“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,” the statement added.
