Professor Wole Soyinka, a Nobel laureate, has denied reports that he supported Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State.
After former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu declared his presidential candidacy on Wednesday, photos of Soyinka with Tinubu went viral.
Soyinka was mentioned in the post, which originally went viral in 2021, as stating, “I have never involved myself in politics or campaign for any politician, but in 2023 I will be involved in politics and campaign for a longtime friend in 1993 NADECO struggle.”
However, Soyinka in a statement entitled, “Season of Fakery Galore”, dismissed the post as fake news, advising the public to disregard it.
Part of the statement read, “Here we go again. This same boring, illiterate public interlopers who lack the courage of their conviction and must steal the identities of their betters. One can only hope that the public has learnt to identify Fake News and join in the urgent task of exposing and disgracing these despicable touts.”
Soyinka stated that he has not considered running for president in 2023 or endorsing a contender for the job.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I have not even thought about 2023, much less inserted candidates into coveted positions. The signature of this latest moron is familiar as he or she does not even know the difference between ‘Laureate and Laurel.’
“This is an ancient forgery being recycled for the umpteenth time. Those who pass it round do themselves and their recipients a disservice. Find something worthwhile to occupy your time.
“In any case, we have no business with politics in the land of the dead, and the most recent information I have on me is that I died sometime last year”, the statement read.
