Some Nigerians on
Sunday asked the first lady, Patience Jonathan, to make herself
available for a debate with Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.

The
call came on the heels of the diatribe the First Lady launched against
Soyinka in which she described the renowned playwright as an
“embarrassment’’ for attributing the crisis rocking Rivers State to her
and her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan.
But some Nigerians,
who took to Twitter and other social networks to voice their concern
over the development, called on a Lagos-based private broadcaster,
Channels Television, to organise a debate for the two.
According
to them, the TV station’s Sunrise Daily, a news and current affairs
programme that features prominent Nigerians, who are experts in their
areas of specialisation, will provide a level playing ground for the duo
to thrash out the knotty issues they were arguing on.
To
actualise their dreams, a cross section of them sent messages in a tweet
to the handle of the programme @sunrisedailynow as well as the main
official handle of the television station, @Channels_TV on Sunday.
A
Twitter user, with the name Abdul Slimzy, tweeting via @abdulslimzy
said, “It would be really nice to see Patience Jonathan and Wole Soyinka
argue on Channels TV @sunrisedailynow in English Language o.”
An
anonymous reader on lindaikeji.blogspot.com said, “Kindly call on
Channels TV to organise a debate between Prof. Wole Soyinka and Dame
Patience Jonathan. I know we go laugh pass ‘Night of a Thousand
Laugh.’’’
Another user of the micro-blogging service with the
name, Hig-Wayne Cannon, who uses the handle @dosinclair, said he would
be looking forward to the debate on national TV as it would be a clash
of the titans. Cannon notes, “You can expect a volcanic grammatical
literary of freestyles. What a collabo #Titans.”
However, some
users of the micro-blogging service boasted that the wife of the
President would come out tops after the debate. One of such users of the
social network who beat his chest on this was Yakubu Dogara who tweets
via @doyakubu.
He says, “I bet it that Dame Patience will win the
debate as it will be unwise for the Prof. (Wole Soyinka) to attend much
more utter a word.”
Another Nigerian tweeting via @hobalawon
said Soyinka, who clocked 79 on Saturday, should simply steer clear of
joining issues with the First Lady and save himself from being on the
receiving end of public bashing which he described as “lethal weapon’’
emanating from her.
The social network user noted, “Prof, even at 79, we still need you around.”
Meanwhile,
the exchange of diatribe between the duo has divided Nigerians on
social networks. While a section of Nigerians argue that the First Lady
shouldn’t have descended heavily on Soyinka and that the onslaught was
unpresidential, others maintained that Soyinka got what he deserved.
On
nairaland.com, a Nigerian with the name, My Time, argued, “I still
maintain that Patience Jonathan has no moral justification to attack the
professor. Her only portfolio is being the wife of the President.
Soyinka has achieved a lot and demands respect. He is one of our
national icons and a gift to this nation. He commands more respect
outside the shores of this country than she does and can ever get.’’
An
anonymous visitor on the blog noted, “I see this current government and
her (Patience Jonathan) agenda losing their taste of civility and moral
standing. I don’t see any reason why the First Lady should talk to an
elderly statesman with such verbal brutality, irrespective of what he
(Soyinka) said to her. Really, I think it’s quite unpresidential.’’
However,
those who believe that Soyinka deserved Patience Jonathan’s onslaught
against him said it was wrong for Soyinka to insult another man’s wife
in the first place. They noted that since Soyinka had descended into an
arena of conflict, he could not avoid such a treatment.
On
lindaikeji.blogspot.com, one Abidoh Jonathan said, “Why exactly are
people abusing the First Lady? Prof. Wole Soyinka made a derogatory
remark about her, and she reacted with an on-point come back. What is
the big deal? If you ask me, I think the Prof stooped too low to comment
and link the First Lady to the current crisis rocking Rivers State. He
is a renowned Prof. but hello, she too is still the First Lady now and
she deserves some respect.”