Soyinka speaks on his membership and relationship towards 2019 Elections

Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has said although he supports any move that would wrestle power from the two major political parties in the country, he does not belong to the group called the Third Force.

Mr Soyinka, who made this known in a statement he issued on Sunday, said he is, however, collaborating with various groups to achieve their collective goal.

“I am not a member of any Conveners’ Council or Third Force,” said Prof. Soyinka.

“There is cooperation among several groups and individuals on various levels, but it is essential to clarify that my interventionist role is clarified so as not to compromise my own objective preferences which will be made only after Citizen Forum has concluded its own line of inquiry and guided itself accordingly.

“We are all collaborating, monitoring and collating preferences, acting in the same cause, aspiring to a creative and effective convergence, but in full respect for the independence of action of the various groupings.”

Mr Soyinka’s clarification came in his statement on Sunday; he disowned newspaper reports that conferred on him membership of the Alliance for the Defence of Democracy, dedicated – among other aims – to identifying a consensus candidate ahead of the presidential election.

He also stated that he did not attend the group’s meeting at the Sheraton Hotel on January 31, where the founders officially unveiled their mission.

“I was invited, but I did not attend,” Mr Soyinka said.

“I must state, however, that I fully endorse, and have encouraged the efforts of A.D.D and of other similarly motivated groups to identify a candidate to take the battle to the two parties currently monopolizing the political space and throw up a viable challenger for the occupancy of Aso Rock.

“Indeed, at the meeting convened by Citizen Forum at Freedom Park, coincidentally on that very day and time – I took pains to inform my audience of the ongoing meeting of the A.D.D, and its commendable purpose. “I also mentioned the meeting of yet another group in Abuja which had been holding for over two days.”