Fact-Check: No, Professor Wole Soyinka Did Not Tell President Bola Tinubu He Is “Not Fit for Re-election”

Claim: A social media user claimed that Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka told President Bola Tinubu, “You are not fit for re-election.”

Verdict: False

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In 2023, Professor Wole Soyinka visited President Bola Tinubu in Lagos, where he presented a seven-point agenda for Nigeria’s progress. He also told journalists he would withhold public judgement on Tinubu’s administration until it completed one year in office in May 2024.

During the visit, media reports said Soyinka disclosed that he had earlier advised Tinubu not to run in the 2023 presidential election, but Tinubu disregarded the advice.

Also in 2023, a viral social media post falsely claimed that Soyinka had asked President-elect Tinubu to step down within two days and return the certificate of return issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). That claim was debunked as misleading.

Days after the All Progressives Congress (APC) formally submitted President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima as its candidates for the 2027 presidential election, another social media post began circulating. It attributed the statement “You are not fit for re-election” to Professor Soyinka.

The post was accompanied by a photograph of Soyinka alongside an image portraying President Tinubu as frail and physically weak, apparently to reinforce the claim that he was unfit to seek another term.

See screenshot below.

Within 20 hours, the claim had drawn more than 17,000 views, over 259 likes, and numerous comments. Some users appeared to accept the statement as genuine, while others questioned its authenticity.

For example, user @Shadrachisa commented:

“At this age, if Prof Wole can’t tell the truth no matter how nice Tinubu has been to him, it means he has failed.”

Another user, @OlusegunOl99186, dismissed the claim, saying:

“Your fake news will land you a job at Kuje soon.”

Given Professor Soyinka’s influence and the weight his public comments often carry—particularly on matters concerning a sitting president- NDRFactCheck investigated the claim.

Verification

NDRFactCheck searched credible news reports for the statement attributed to Professor Soyinka but found no evidence that he said President Tinubu was “not fit for re-election.”

We also reviewed Soyinka’s publicly available remarks about President Tinubu and his administration.

In 2025, Soyinka stated that assessing Tinubu’s performance after two years in office was a collective responsibility, not his alone. He added that many other stakeholders were already evaluating the administration.

Meanwhile, the X account Mayor of Calabar (@Uno_009), which posted the statement, has repeatedly shared viral claims that NDRFactCheck has investigated. Several of those claims were found to be false, raising concerns about the reliability of information shared by the account.

Although Soyinka has often criticised successive Nigerian governments, including those led by former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and the late Muhammadu Buhari, he has not publicly said President Tinubu is “not fit for re-election.” He has also not issued a comprehensive public assessment of Tinubu’s administration more than two years into its tenure.

Verdict

There is no credible evidence that Professor Wole Soyinka made the statement, “You are not fit for re-election,” about President Bola Tinubu.

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