Soyinka admires Amaechi Decision: Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has commended former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi for what he described as a bold and principled stance during the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary, where Amaechi declined to step down for President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking in Abuja at an event to mark Amaechi’s 60th birthday, Soyinka recalled watching the primary live from Abu Dhabi and being impressed by Amaechi’s resolve to stay in the race despite significant pressure.
“The main reason I had to be here today is because I admire Rotimi Amaechi’s fighting spirit,” Soyinka stated. “It’s a consistent one, but the most unforgettable moment for me was during the APC primaries. I watched it live on TV all the way from Abu Dhabi. I wanted to witness the drama, and I’m glad I did. It gave me great, almost mischievous pleasure — call it rascally, if you like — to see the sitting president get a taste of his own medicine.”
Soyinka compared Amaechi’s defiance to Tinubu’s past political resistance during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, when Tinubu stood against efforts to amend the constitution for a third term.
Still on Soyinka admires Amaechi Decision
“Let me clarify. We remember someone who stood firm against a former president trying to change the constitution for a third term. He denies it, but we know the truth. That former president tried to weaken the powers of the federation’s constituent units by cutting off statutory allocations. In the end, one man stood tall against it — the last man standing. Now, that same individual got a taste of his own tactics during the primaries, courtesy of Amaechi. I enjoyed that.”
Soyinka highlighted that Amaechi’s refusal to step aside, even as others endorsed Tinubu, demonstrated democratic ideals and personal conviction.
“While many were quick to concede, there was one man who stepped up and said no — I didn’t come all the way to ‘lúlẹ̀’ \[fall flat]. That man was Rotimi Amaechi. And that, to me, is the essence of democracy.”
In the APC primary, Tinubu won with 1,271 votes, followed by Amaechi with 316, and then Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo with 235.
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