Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has pushed back against mounting pressure to assess President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In December 2023, Soyinka announced that he would evaluate Tinubu’s government after one year in office, citing his tradition of giving presidents a year to stabilize.

With the Tinubu administration nearing its second year, public outcry over economic hardship and inflation has intensified.

However, Soyinka, 90, remains unwilling to expedite his assessment, stating, “I didn’t swallow an alarm clock… I don’t see why I should put my alarm on and say one year has passed, now I must make an assessment.”

Soyinka emphasized that evaluating any government is a collective responsibility, pointing out that others, such as the Falanas, Baiyewus, and Sowores, are also speaking out.

He clarified that his initial statement meant only that he would respond to questions and concerns after one year, not that he would proactively call a press conference to render judgment.