Daniel Bwala, spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, should debate with novelist, Chimamanda Adichie not Labour Party’s (LP) vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.
Recall Datti in a Channels Television interview, said the country has no president-elect despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announcing Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election.
He had said Tinubu would be leading an unconstitutional government if sworn into office because the APC candidate “has not met requirements of the law.”
Information Nigeria had reported that Soyinka said he was willing to engage the LP vice-presidential candidate on the recent contentious interview or any of his nominees, if the station was willing.
Soyinka who disclosed this on Friday while condemning the five million naira fine imposed on Channels by the National Broadcasting Commission said, “May I seize this opportunity, by the way, to condemn the sanctions imposed on Channels Television which anchored the performance of the LP candidate. As stated, I watched the programme keenly – saw the valiant efforts of the interviewer to ensure fair hearing.
READ ALSO: Datti Baba-Ahmed Will Not Debate Wole Soyinka – LP Spokesman, Tanko
“I fail to understand just where the station could be faulted, except from a disposition for injustice. To sustain that penalty is to give joy to others who turn Internet into a soakaway for their rancid emissions, yet feel that others should be silenced.
“If Channels TV feels up to it, I offer myself willing to engage Mr Datti – or any nominee of his – on its platform on this very bone of contention – one-on-one – without the malodorous intervention of media trolls, and with the same interviewer as mediator. That should be taken as a serious offer.”
However, Bwala reacting in a Twitter post on Sunday said Soyinka was not a politician, hence, should challenge the international novelist, Chimamanda.
Recall also that Adichie in an open letter to United States President, Joe Biden urged him not to congratulate president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because according to her, the electoral process was flawed by a number of irregularities
Adichie alleged widespread reports of violence, ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, and other malpractices which marred the February 25 poll as reasons the United States president should not recognize Tinubu’s victory.
Tweeting, Bwala wrote: “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.”
