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Soyinka Tackles Buhari on National Interest Comment, Says It’s ‘Vague, Vaporous’

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7 years ago

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Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for apparently saying his government is willing to violate the law for national security.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference last Sunday, Mr Buhari claimed it was a settled law that national security should always trump the rule of law.

He defended the detention of Nigerians even against judicial pronouncements.

In a statement Thursday, Mr Soyinka mocked the president by saying Mr Buhari had obviously given a deep thought to his travails under a military dictatorship and concluded that his incarceration at that time was also in the ‘national interest.’

Mr Buhari was imprisoned for years by the Ibrahim Babangida regime after his military dictatorship was overthrown in 1985.

Since returning to power in 2015, Mr Buhari’s government has held some Nigerians for years without trial. High profile detainees have been denied freedom despite court orders.

“Here we go again,” Mr Soyinka said in the statement he titled ‘Buhari’s Pernicious Doctrine.’

“At his first coming, it was ‘I intend to tamper with Freedom of the Press,’ and Buhari did proceed to suit action to the words, sending two journalists – Irabor and Thompson – to prison as a reward for their professional integrity.

“Now, a vague, vaporous, but commodious concept dubbed “national interest” is being trotted out as alibi for flouting the decisions of the Nigerian judiciary. President Buhari has obviously given deep thought to his travails under a military dictatorship, and concluded that his incarceration was also in the ‘national interest.’”

Mr Buhari sparked outrage with his statement while addressing a gathering of lawyers when he said: “the rule of law must be subject to the supremacy of the nation’s security and national interest.”

The president’s comments drew criticisms from the lawyers and Nigerians who condemned his statement in strong terms.

In his statement on Thursday, Mr Soyinka described the timing of the president’s speech as “perfect.”

“We have cause to be thankful for the advance warning, since not all rulers actually make a declaration of intent, but simply proceed to degrade the authority of the law as part of the routine business of governance,” said Mr Soyinka.

“We have been there before. It should be of mere interest, not despondency, that this latest proclamation of dictatorial recidivism has also been made before an assembly of officers of the law, the Nigerian Bar Association. We expect a robust response from the NBA as part of its conclusions.”

Mr Soyinka noted that there is no shortcut to democracy and that the history of law, even where uncodified, is as old as humanity.

“Numerous rulers have tried again and again to annul that institution,” he said.

“Sometimes, they appear to succeed, but in the end, they pay heavy forfeit. So does society.

“The rule of law, however, outlasts all subverters, however seemingly powerful. If the consequences for society in defence of the rule of law were not so costly, any new attempt would be merely banal and boring, hardly deserving of attention. We know, historically, where it will all end.”

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Dangote Launches Historic ₦1trn Scholarship Scheme for 1.3m Students

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9 hours ago

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December 12, 2025

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The Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), Aliko Dangote, has launched a ₦1 trillion scholarship programme targeting more than 1.3 million Nigerian students over the next decade.

The initiative, the largest private-sector education support scheme in Nigeria’s history, will begin in 2026 with ₦100 billion disbursed annually across all 774 local governments.

The programme focuses on vulnerable learners, supporting undergraduate STEM students, technical trainees, and secondary school girls through tuition aid, study materials, and essential learning supplies.

It will be implemented through a fully digital, merit-based system in partnership with NELFUND, JAMB, NIMC, NUC, NBTE, WAEC and NECO.

Dangote said the intervention is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future, stressing that financial hardship—not lack of talent—is the major barrier keeping many young people out of school. He added that 25 percent of his wealth has been committed to sustaining the Foundation’s long-term programmes.

Vice President Kashim Shettima described the scheme as a transformative act of nation-building, noting that it complements government reforms in basic, tertiary and technical education.

Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the programme aligns with the administration’s goal of transitioning Nigeria into a knowledge-driven economy, while Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, pledged the governors’ full support.

Traditional rulers including the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Dauda Bage, who chairs the programme’s steering committee, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, praised the initiative as unprecedented in scope and impact.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed also commended the scheme, saying it will create conditions for children to learn and families to thrive.

The scholarship initiative reinforces the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s mission to expand opportunities, drive social impact and improve the wellbeing of communities across Nigeria.

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Yakubu, Fani-Kayode, Ikpeazu, Others Scale Senate Screening Hurdle for Ambassadorial Positions

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24 hours ago

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December 11, 2025

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The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, on Thursday, approved the nomination of former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, for appointment as ambassador.

Other nominees cleared by the committee include former Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau, ex-special adviser on new media to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, former presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang, and Senator Grace Bent.

Also confirmed were former INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu; former Governor of Enugu, State Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and former Governor of Abia State, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, among others.

The screening session, conducted in batches of five nominees each, experienced a mild drama during Omokri’s turn.

Senators Mohammed Ali Ndume and Adams Oshiomhole openly disagreed on how his clearance should proceed.

After Omokri’s batch had introduced themselves, Ndume moved a motion to allow the nominees to take a bow and leave.

Some senators, including Oshiomhole, indicated they wanted to comment.

The Committee Chairman, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, recognised Oshiomhole to speak, but Ndume insisted that his motion should be seconded before allowing further interventions.

This led to a sharp disagreement between the two senators.

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Tinubu Reiterates Directive on Withdrawal of VIP Police Protection

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2 days ago

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December 10, 2025

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President Bola Tinubu has insisted on his earlier directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers from very important persons (VIPs) in the country.

On November 23, Tinubu ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs across the country during a security meeting with the inspector-general of police (IGP), the chiefs of army and air staff, and the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The president said the move was aimed at boosting police presence in communities, especially remote areas where stations are understaffed and citizens remain vulnerable to attacks.

Speaking at the opening of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, Tinubu warned against non-compliance and directed Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA); Ibrahim Gaidam, minister of police; and Kayode Egbetokun, the IGP, to follow up on the implementation of the order.
The president noted that police officers were trained to protect the lives and property of citizens, particularly the most vulnerable in society, adding that the protection of a select group of VIPs is not their responsibility.

The president ordered Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, to make arrangements for the replacement of police officers by civil defence corps.

“If you have any problem because of the nature of your assignments, please contact the IGP and get my clearance,” he said.

“The National Security and Civil Defence Corps are trained for VIP protection, and they are armed too.

“We face challenges here and there of kidnapping, banditry and terrorism. We need all forces utilised. I know some people are exposed; we will make the exceptions. The civil defence is very much around.”

Tinubu said there is a need to mobilise the police appropriately due to the country’s security challenges.

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