Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, has criticised the two frontline candidates in the March 28 presidential election, President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party and Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) of the All Progressives Congress.

Soyinka, in an interview with the BBC on Monday, insisted that the political parties should have come up with far better options than the two leading candidates.

He described President Jonathan, who is running for a second term and the opposition leader, Buhari, as “problematic candidates.”

“There is a huge albatross hanging [around] the necks of the two main candidates. I can understand the dilemma which many voters have,” Soyinka said.

He added that “one contender is troubled by the present, the other by the past.”

Soyinka also decried the lack of fair play in the election, saying the spirit of “let’s have a fair war” was not yet deep enough.

He faulted Jonathan for the failure to rescue the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok in April 2014.

“What happened was a clear failure of leadership – a slow reaction, an inadequate reaction and response,” Soyinka told the BBC. He stressed that while responsibility for the Boko Haram crisis rested with President Jonathan, the government could not be held solely responsible for the entire jihadist problem as it began under previous governments.

“Buhari and his partner, the late Gen. Tunde Idiagbon, after (former military head of state) Sani Abacha, I think they represented the most brutal face of military dictatorship. There is no question about that,” Soyinka said.

“But the environment changes, circumstances change and… I look at the possibility of a genuine internal transformation in some individuals. I’ve been disappointed before and we must always be ready to be disappointed again,” he added.

Soyinka, however, said Nigerians should be ready to “go back to the trenches stand up against misrule from whoever wins the election.

“Nigerians should be prepared to deal with any new betrayal by any ruler with the same passion and commitment…. as they did with the late Sani Abacha because we cannot continue this cycle of repetitious evil and irresponsibility.”

On what to do to counter the Boko Haram sect, whose activities was cited for the postponement of the election, Soyinka called for “an aerial bombardment with weapons of the mind” in addition to the military offensive.

“All kinds of propaganda leaflets should have been raining in those areas because not all members of Boko Haram are convinced. They need to know there is an exit and the state will take care of them. Then the waverers’ minds have to be reinforced on the positive side – on the side of humanity.

“The kind of propaganda being used now between the political parties, just a fraction of that should have gone into attacking Boko Haram,” he added.

Asked whether he believed the nation could be dismembered in the next 10 years, he said, “I doubt it very much. The threats of dismemberment have been going on so long that one of these days there is going to be a wish fulfilled.

“The idea of either dismembering at the cost of human lives, as the Boko Haram people are trying to do with their caliphate delusions or to force people to stay together as happened in the case of the [1967-1970] Biafra war, doesn’t make sense, it’s an abuse of intelligence.

“Arrangements can be made in which people stick together under protocols of association which allow some kind of autonomy for certain issues and other cases centralised policies,” he said.

Soyinka also noted that the huge amount being expended on campaigns would inevitably lead to broken electoral promises.

“What does this make of the incoming government? This money came in from somewhere. It means such candidates are going to owe, they are obliged to interests which are not necessarily in the best interests of the nation.

“So, a lot of the electorate will be disappointed at the failure – the reneging on electoral promises – because there may not be funds for the fulfilment of those promises,” he said.

http://www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-buhari-are-problematic-candidates-says-soyinka/

http://www.forumspotz.net/jonathan-buhari-problematic-candidates-soyinka/

Gej. Has put pepesoup in our eyes..we. Buhari to cum and flush it for us soyinka...

faroukfahima:

He added that “one contender is troubled by the present, the other by the past.”

“But the environment changes, circumstances change and… I look at the possibility of a genuine internal transformation in some individuals. I’ve been disappointed before and we must always be ready to be disappointed again,” he added.

MY TAKE ON THIS:-
Jonathan is been troubled by his not performing up to standard in the last 6 years. While Buhari is been haunted by his strict policies during his almost 2 years reign.

I always say this and will continue to say it. Let's assume Jonathan as a Military Head of State. He would have done far worse than Abacha in terms of Corruption and Dictatorship.

We should not judge Buhari by the fact that he was a military dictator. Everything he did during his tenure as Head of State is synonymous with military rule.

If Jonathan had ruled us as a Military Officer, I'm sure he would have been jailed by the International Criminal Court.

Soyinka got it wrong when he said Buhari/Idiagbon represented the worst phase of military dictatorship in Nigeria.

That award cannot be contested with Gen. Sani Abacha.

Meanwhile, Shagari/GEJ tenure represents the worst phase of civilian leadership in Nigeria.

Despite that, Buhari is still the choice of Nigerians. GEJ should go continue his lecturing job.

Hmmm

Just like u.

dharyour93:


MY TAKE ON THIS:-
Jonathan is been troubled by his not performing up to standard in the last 6 years. While Buhari is been haunted by his strict policies during his almost 2 years reign.

I always say this and will continue to say it. Let's assume Jonathan as a Military Head of State. He would have done far worse than Abacha in terms of Corruption and Dictatorship.

We should not judge Buhari by the fact that he was a military dictator. Everything he did during his tenure as Head of State is synonymous with military rule.

If Jonathan had ruled us as a Military Officer, I'm sure he would have been jailed by the International Criminal Court.

The problem of Nigeria is not presidency..

We have what it takes to make Nigeria a better nation but everything is been shared inside Senate and House of Rep and people there can't question presidency and his cabinet because they have taken their own share.

Imaging senate and House of Rep committees collecting bribe for passing a bill and before a project could be awarded and at the end the contractor didn't finish the project. Tell can those senate and House of Rep committees file a suit against such contractor

Believe it or not, this is what is happening in Nigeria. If 20billion is missing inside finance, CBN, NNPC etc, we should ask the senate and House of Rep committees how much were given to them or if they dont share out of the 20billion. Am sure if senate and House of Rep committees are clean they will do everything to expose and jail them

Lastly our constitution is too weak and its affecting the citizen and masses

He faulted Jonathan for the failure to rescue the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok in April 2014.

“What happened was a clear failure of leadership – a slow reaction, an inadequate reaction and response,” Soyinka told the BBC. He stressed that while responsibility for the Boko Haram crisis rested with President Jonathan, the government could not be held solely responsible for the entire jihadist problem as it began under previous governments.

This is act of terrorism my PROFFESOR. You are over-enphasizing these chibok and insurgency issue than due.

The way you and OBJ wanted GEJ to handle this issue is out of context and old fashioned.

Before issuing out command to the military as a leader, especially a country like ours with multi ethnic setup, one has to tread with caution and should consider the following

-genocide
-civilians living in the insurgency area
-human rights abuse
-international community
-negotiation b4 force
-etc

Imagine had it been Jonathan resorted to operation wipe out earlier than now, figure out what the headline news would have been - genocide, human rights abuse, against the north cus he is not from there etc

As far as am concern this time is the right time to forcefully drag the manace to where it belong after all other measures fail to yield even a single fruit.
Other questions will be


"did he ask for negotiations"
"did he ask them for amnesty"
"did he tread with caution "
" are u aware of their greivances to seek for solution"

All answers is "yes" and would have been "NO" beyond now

TRUE!
But, we must choose ONE. . .
Simple!!!

Other 'less' problematic candidates are not on the ballot!
Thank you sah.
We know say you go school!

Now, move on!

GEJ till you learn to 'baba' your hair!

Failed politics of ethnic numbers; it has suddenly become primitive and unworkable in modern Nigeria. Pandering to it is simply an signing up to the the macabre game that involves how best to run into a wall face-first. The face will lose the battle no matter how many times the game is repeated.

Problem? All I can say for now is that the moment Maj. GMB won the APC's primaries, there has been pandemonium in the PDP's camp.

Haa

Walspring:


The problem of Nigeria is not presidency..

We have what it takes to make Nigeria a better nation but everything is been shared inside Senate and House of Rep and people there can't question presidency and his cabinet because they have taken their own share.

Imaging senate and House of Rep committees collecting bribe for passing a bill and before a project could be awarded and at the end the contractor didn't finish the project. Tell can those senate and House of Rep committees file a suit against such contractor

Believe it or not, this is what is happening in Nigeria. If 20billion is missing inside finance, CBN, NNPC etc, we should ask the senate and House of Rep committees how much were given to them or if they dont share out of the 20billion. Am sure if senate and House of Rep committees are clean they will do everything to expose and jail them

Lastly our constitution is too weak and its affecting the citizen and masses

WELL SAID

Condemning everything, I hope wole joins the race so can also examine both his present and past.