Twitter Suspension: A Petulant Gesture, Unbecoming Of A Democratically-Elected President – Soyinka 

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka on Friday night described the indefinite suspension placed on Twitter by the Federal Government as “petulant gesture” unbecoming of a democratically elected president.

He specifically said; “Kindly add my total lack of surprise at this petulant gesture, unbecoming of a democratically elected president”.

Soyinka said that if President Muhammadu Buhari has a problem with the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, he quietly should sort it out privately like former President Donald Trump did.

The Nobel Laureate who stated these while reacting to the ban placed on Twitter by the Federal Government, said; “the field of expression remains wide open, free of any dictatorial spasms”.

Soyinka however noted that a Twitter ban in the country is a “technical issue,” saying that Nigerians should be able to work their way around.

Find below Soyinka’s reactions:

“Heard the news of Buhari’s ban on Twitter an hour or so after sending off TO SHOCK AND AWE to the print media. Kindly add my total lack of surprise at this petulant gesture, unbecoming of a democratically elected president.

“If Buhari has a problem with Twitter, he is advised to sort it out between them personally, the way Donald Trump did, not rope in the right to free expression of the Nigerian citizen as collateral damage.

“In any case, this is a technical problem Nigerians should be able to work their way around. The field of free expression remains wide open, free of any dictatorial spasms!”
Wole SOYINKA