Wole Soyinka
The Nobel Prize Winner has apologised for criticizing President Muhammadu Buhari, over his congratulatory message to Gambian President-elect, Adama Barrow.
Wole SoyinkaBuhari had congratulated Barrow, for his victory over incumbent Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh, at the poll.
The Nobel Laureate thought Jammeh had won and went ahead to criticize Buhari for his message.
He had said at the time: “President Buhari is congratulating the president-elect of Gambia, that lunatic who makes his citizens undergo hallucinogenic tests to prove that they are not witches on his farm.
“Please help me beg President Buhari, I don’t say he shouldn’t congratulate Trump because there is no way one can avoid Trump but you can avoid petty little dictators like Jammeh of Gambia who is the opposite of everything one would expect of the true African leader for his or he citizens. Please President Buhari, restrict yourself to those you absolutely have to congratulate.”
Soyinka has now realized his mistakes and promptly tendered an apology.
“Just before setting off for my media chat at Freedom Park, I was handed a Sunday newspaper with a comment on the recently concluded Gambian Presidential elections. I totally misheard the comment and thought that ex-President Jammeh had again succeeded in manipulating the votes to remain on the continent’s ‘sit-tight’ roll of dishonour,” he said.
