Labour Party has outrightly turned down the challenge of an open debate between their vice presidential candidate — Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
Recall that Soyinka had challenged Datti to a one-on-one debate on live television over his controversial views regarding the outcome of the presidential election.
However, in a statement issued by the Obi-Datti Media Office on Saturday, April 8, 2023, the Labour Party vice-presidential candidate asked Soyinka to bring forward his preferred candidates to debate him.
The statement read: “Like many Nigerians, we are bewildered by the late hour intervention of our respected Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka in issues around the flawed 2023 elections.
“Where was he all this while? One of those who should ordinarily and rightfully be honoured as the conscience of the nation, Prof. Soyinka is now criminalising dissent and in fact weighing in on the side of fraud and injustice! We state therefore that the vice-presidential candidate of Labour Party, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed cannot take up Prof. Soyinka’s offer of a public debate, not out of cowardice, but for cultural and political reasons.
“Culturally it’s just not decent, their age and accomplishment gaps taken into account, for Datti to sit opposite the 88-year-old global icon and point out his folly to his face, even if the old man called for it. And politically there is no basis for such a challenge in that Prof. is not on any of the opposite ballots.
“If however, he can use his influence to drag his preferred candidates, who resisted debates throughout the campaign, to the studio this second, Datti says he is more than willing to take them on. Signed: Obi-Datti Media Office.”
