News update: Wole Soyinka speaks on forthcoming elections

BBC special correspondent in Lagos, Will Ross, interviewed the Nobel prize-winning author Wole Soyinka who has been at the centre of Nigeria’s long struggle for democracy.

Will Ross began by asking whether the coming election was a sign of deepening democracy in Nigeria.

“It’s backwards and forwards. I mean there many actions, especially by the government in power, which I wouldn’t say are exactly democratic. It’s that spirit of, you know, ‘Let’s have a fair war’. It’s not yet deep enough.'

“You know over the last few months there have been a lot of people criticising especially over,  that became known all around the world. How would you assess how he has performed?”

Talking about criticism that President Goodluck Jonathan  has received over the situation in the North-east, and the the abduction of the Chibok girls, Ross asked Soyinka to assess how Jonathan had performed.

Soyinka described it as “a clear failure in leadership”, saying that while the problem of Boko Haram began under previous governments, responsibility rests on Jonathan too.

Speaking about a possible return to power of the former military ruler and All Progressives Congress candidate, Buhari, he said: “Circumstances change, the military can be self internally demobilised … I look for the possibility of a genuine internal transformation of some individuals.”

“I’ve been disappointed before and we must be ready to disappointed again. All I know is that if the wrong choice is made we should start preparing to go back to the trenches,” Soyinka added.

“We cannot continue this cycle of repetitious evil and irresponsibility

Ahead of next month’s presidential poll, tensions in Nigeria are continuing to run high following the postponement of the election.

It is an intensely fought race between the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan and the former head of state General Muhammad Buhari (rtd).

The elections were scheduled to take place on February 14 but were postponed until March 28 by the electoral commission, citing security concerns as the main reason.