Seth Kunkpe: Chimamanda Adichie Tackles  Wole Soyinka on Nigerian Election

Seth Kunkpe: Chimamanda Adichie Tackles  Wole Soyinka on Nigerian Election

The Nigerian Elections have once again revealed the hollow in Nigerian democracy… according to the internationally acclaimed best-selling author and world-acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. In her open letter to no mean person than the President of the United States of America, she minced no words in calling what she called the duplicity in the American government as regards Democracy in Africa.

Since the release of that article, all hell has broken loose. When Arise News-Nigeria called her to make her case, she explained that over the years, America has been so selective in its comments on African democracy. She wondered why the American government could endorse a sham of an election that just ended in Nigeria.

It was on this same show that she was also asked to comment on the statement released by Prof Wole Soyinka when he said the vice presidential candidate of the Labor Party, Datti Baba Ahmed was displaying fascism in his recent comment on the swearing-in of Bola Tinubu as president of Africa.

In her response, the cultured young writer who knew the difference between respect and being objective did not mince words in separating the respect she had for the professor but at the same time disagreed with him.

She took her time to gently tackle the old man so he won’t sustain injuries.

As far as Chimamanda was concerned the Nigerian election was flawed deliberately by INEC and if anybody deserved the term fascism, it should be INEC and not Datti Baba Ahmed.

For her, those who suppressed people and chased them from voting deserved to be called fascists.

Seth Kunkpe: Chimamanda Adichie Tackles  Wole Soyinka on Nigerian Election

Read Seth Kunkpe: If I were a colleague of Prof Wole Soyinka

During the interview, she also said  Professor Soyinka himself is not given to restrain in the use of language and that is why he could use the word fascist for someone who was making a strong point that needed to be considered.

It will be recalled that the vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party Senator Baba Ahmed had said on Channels Television-Nigeria that President Buhari should not involve himself in the illegality of allowing the swearing-in of the President-elect Bola Tinubu. He argued that since he has not gotten two-thirds of the Federal Capital Territory as required by law. He said it will signal the end of democracy in Nigeria if the swearing-in takes place.

This was the comment that resurrected Prof Soyinka from his silence after so much harm has been done in the just-ended elections.

I have personally wondered by the good old Prof has not been vocal when it was needed most. The just-concluded election will still be a subject of debate in the coming months.

I love Nigeria Regardless.

In the end, may Nigeria work, and may it positively affect the entire continent.

For the love of God, society, and young people.

Blessings

Seth Kunkpe

Penfromafar….writing to make things right