Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka says some politicians in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should be answering questions from anti-graft agencies over corrupt practices during their time in elected offices.
Soyinka, who will clock 90 in July, spoke during a television dialogue on Wednesday, saying when it is time, he will beam his searchlight on such politicians and ask the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to go after them.
The rights activist acknowledged that President Bola Tinubu was a “doughty fighter” during the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) days over three decades ago.
He said, though somebody’s record must always be taken to account but he won’t be carried away by the past achievement of any individual to affect his opinion or criticism on any public issue.
Soyinka said, “Tinubu was a doughty fighter during the anti-Sani Abacha struggle. Even law recognises that somebody’s record must always be taken to account before you descend on that person for some kind of neglect, criminality, failure, whatever.
“However, I can never allow the past of any individual to twist my appeal on any urgent issue.
“I cannot say because you were a fighter during the NADECO struggle, therefore, I will sit down and watch you condone corruption, that includes failures.
“For instance, when it’s time, I’m going to look at those in his (Tinubu) government who should be under trial right now and yet who occupy critical positions in the ruling party.
“Are they asking questions from the EFCC? This and this individual who held this position at this time who had immunity at the time, but now no longer has immunity, ICPC, EFCC, what are you doing about them? What happened? We’ve been waiting.”
Last December, Soyinka visited Tinubu in his Bourdillon residence in highbrow Ikoyi area of the state, saying his assessment of the current administration will come after Tinubu’s one first anniversary in office.
‘Plot To Annul 2023 Polls’
Soyinka also said there was a plot to nullify the 2023 presidential election. Reminiscing on the 1993 election cancelled by former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), Soyinka said, “History was about to repeat itself, some people were determined to take us back to those days.”
“I am alleging that there was a conspiracy from the very beginning before the election to make sure the elections did not take place or that even if the voting did take place, that everything be reverted to what happened under Babangida.
“When we all just woke up and discovered that even though the results have been calculated, even though the results were in possession of international bodies, including monitoring embassies and so on, even if we had the results directly, it was suddenly annulled,” he added.