Posted by Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, has come under fire from Prof. Wole Soyinka for the attacks on his person.
Obi’s supporters, referred to as “Obidients,” have been disparaging the Nobel Prize winner over one of his recent remarks.
Soyinka described the Obidient movement as a threat to the judiciary in the interview with Channels Television.
The professor added that he had warned Obi before the presidential election that if he lost, it would be his supporters who did so on his behalf.
Obidients insulted the poet who enjoys acclaim on a global scale in their responses.
Fascism is on course, Soyinka reacted in a statement.
“Fear is being stoked, and it’s pervasive. It has become a badge of honor and testament to one’s dedication when one refuses to consider corrective criticism or even different viewpoints on the same position. Truth is ultimately at stake, and at the most fundamental level of social norms, parties to a conflict are not allowed to intimidate the arbiter, try to influence the outcome, or cast doubt on their impartiality without a strong case before the hearing even starts. That is a basic tenet of just moving forward. Truth will always elude us unless this happens.
The ensuing clamor was truly confusing. It seems to me like a potential ruse to stifle recent provocations caused by other, much more serious issues, like revelations of declarations of a religious war. If so, please know that I have long declared war on religious fundamentalism, whose nature justifies the killing, kidnapping, and enslavement of students in the name of religion.
“That candidate’s alleged error doesn’t sit well with me. It was much more ominous to imagine the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court flying off into space in a wheelchair to meet with other parties to the conflict. That’s scary enough on its own. It strikes one as more than just the antics of the mentally unstable, especially given the televised tirade of intimidation that immediately followed. The strategy is well known: mock, accuse, then intimidate. As a reminder, when this writer said, “Justice is the first condition of humanity,” upon leaving prison detention, he wasn’t using rhetoric. Instead, he was trying to undermine the structure of justice.
“The initiating competition, Nigerian Democracy 2023, has seen much that is innovative—mostly in the retrogressive vein. ethnic profiling and violence. Easily overlooked, however, are those threats of violence directed against dissenting voices, real or suspect. These threats take the form of sacrificed rams in “spiritual” warfare to keep “disloyal” communities in check – in short, intimidation yet again. Intense threats and attacks, for example, were made against the musician Seun Kuti, his family, and the Shrine, a landmark in music. His only crime was declaring the name “Obidient” derogatory to his sense of civic pride and activist background. Such beginnings, of which there are many, have resulted in the open intimidation of the Court of Last Resort even prior to the start of proceedings. By the way, I agree with Seun Kuti that “Obidients” is among the most disgusting, off-putting mixtures I have ever come across in a political setting. But some people adore it, and this is what freedom is all about. Choice. Taste. Feelings unfettered. In contrast, I don’t argue with “Yes Daddy.”. The phrase “Yes, Father” is common among Roman Catholics. “Enh, Baba,” the secularists reply.
Soyinka also participated in the interview that Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s vice presidential candidate, gave to Channels Television on March 22, 2023.
Despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaring Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the election’s victor, Baba-Ahmed claimed in the interview that the country lacked a president-elect.
The APC candidate “has not met requirements of the law,” according to the LP vice-presidential candidate, so Tinubu would be in charge of an unconstitutional government if he were to be sworn in.
Political actors expressed their displeasure with the interview, and the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) fined the TV station N5 million as a result.
However, Soyinka criticized the fine, claiming that while watching the program, he saw the anchor attempt to restrain his guest without success.
Please allow me to end this opportunity to criticize the actions taken against CHANNELS Television, which served as the anchor for the LP candidate’s performance. As I’ve already mentioned, I closely watched the program and observed the interviewer’s heroic efforts to ensure a fair hearing. I am unable to think of any faults with the station other than a tendency toward injustice. Sustaining that punishment would be a source of joy for those who use the Internet as a vent for their offensive emissions while believing that others ought to be silenced. IF CHANNELS FEELS LIKE IT, I OFFER MYSELF WILLING TO ENGAGE Mr.dot Datti – OR ANY NOMINEE OF HIS – ON ITS PLATFORM ON THIS EXACT BONE OF DISPUTE – ONE-ON-ONE – WITHOUT THE DISGUSTING INTERVENTION OF MEDIA TROLLS, AND WITH THE SAME INTERVIEWER AS MEDIATOR. That is a serious offer, so please accept.
“I must admit that Project Nigeria has reached a point where it is nearly soul-searing. I’m not sure if I believe in it anymore, but we must first free ourselves from the ignorance of the ignorant and the opportunism of time-servers. “