Following the meeting, Soyinka spoke with reporters, stating, “I came here with a seven-point agenda, and we had a very thorough discussion on those items.”
Reflecting on a previous visit to Tinubu, Soyinka revealed that his initial purpose was to dissuade the former Lagos State governor from running for president, a counsel Tinubu ultimately disregarded. Soyinka humorously referred to him as “olori kunkun,” meaning the stubborn one. This recent visit, however, was prompted by a desire to check on Tinubu and his wife’s well-being and extend Christmas wishes.
Despite their longstanding friendship, Soyinka refrained from assessing Tinubu’s performance in office, indicating that he follows a tradition of allowing the first year of an administration to unfold before offering opinions. Soyinka explained, “Something you may have noticed about me is that most heads of state, when they come into office, I always leave them alone for about the first year.”
He emphasized that leaders often inherit challenges and start below ground zero, needing time to address issues. This policy has been consistent with Tinubu’s predecessors, including Obasanjo, Buhari, and Jonathan. Soyinka concluded by stating that his assessment of Tinubu’s performance would be reserved until after one year in office. He urged reporters to revisit the question after that period, maintaining his approach of allowing leaders the necessary time to make adjustments and improvements.