There is an interesting twist to the debate challenge by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, as Daniel Bwala, a spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, asked the former to face his colleague, Chimamanda Adichie, rather than Labour Party (LP) Vice Presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.
Soyinka became a social media sensation after challenging Datti to an open debate following his “extreme” thought on the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag-bearer, Bola Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential poll.
On March 22, in an interview, Datti said the country has no president-elect despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announcing Bola Tinubu as the winner of the election.
Datti said Tinubu would be leading an unconstitutional government if sworn into office because the APC candidate “has not met requirements of the law”.
Reacting to the brouhaha, Bwala said Soyinka was not a politician, hence should challenge Chimamanda, not Datti.
“Am told Prof. Soyinka asked to debate Datti. No, he should ask to debate Chimamanda Adichie.
“Datti is a politician, Soyinka is not, so it will be an unfair debate.
“But both Soyinka and Chimamanda trade on literature and grammar. #Soyinkadebatechimamanda.
“When he tries Chimamanda, he will understand the phrase ‘nobody has the monopoly of knowledge’. It will certainly be the case of David v Goliath,” he tweeted.
