The public policy think tank said it is uncharacteristic for Soyinka to look and act disinterestedly over an issue in which he should, ordinarily, be interested in. This is much more so considering the fact that Soyinka has, through his recent interventions, left nobody in doubt that he is an interested party in the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
In a statement by its Director of Public Affairs, Jenkins Udu, the Centre asked Soyinka to speak up on this national embarrassment, reminding him of his own dictum that the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny. “Most curious about this is Tinubu’s application to the university and the court that his academic records should not be released. This move by the president to shield his academic records from the public is suspicious and embarrassing. It leaves us asking whether there is anything he is hiding from the public. The controversy is, to say the least, messy.
“The legal fireworks in the United States on whether to release or not to release Tinubu’s academic records is an embarrassment to Nigeria. It is a matter for disgrace that the public records of Nigeria’s first citizen is shrouded in secrecy. This is unacceptable. Nigerians want nothing but transparency and openness in governance.