Wole Soyinka Slams Obidients In New Letter

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Friday, April 7th, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has opened up to criticism directed at him by Obidients, supporters of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, after he expressed displeasure at a statement made by the vice-presidential candidate of the party, Datti Baba-Ahmed.

In a statement titled “Fascism On Course”, Soyinka stated that the “seeds of seeds of incipient fascism in the political arena have evidently matured”.
The African Examiner recalls that Baba-Ahmed, whose ticket with his principal, Peter Obi, was announced third in the February 25 presidential election, had spoken about the Supreme Court in a manner Soyinka described as “fascistic language”.
Soyinka said: “A climate of fear is being generated. The ensuing cacophony has been truly bewildering. It strikes me as a possible ploy to smother recent provocations by other, far more trenchant issues, such as revelations of declarations of a religious war.
“If so, let it be known that I have long declared war against religious fundamentalism, the nature of which justifies the butchery, kidnapping and enslavement of students in the name of religion.”
He also spoke concerning the use of derogatory terms, saying that he agreed with musician Seun Kuti’s opinion that the term “Obidients” was derogatory to his sense of civic dignity and activist history.
Soyinka continued: “By the way, I do agree with Seun Kuti; ‘Obidients’ is one of the most repulsive, off-putting concoctions I ever encountered in any political arena. Some love it however, and this is what freedom is about. Choice. Taste. Free emotions.

“By contrast, I have no quarrel with “Yes Daddy”. Roman Catholics are used to saying “Yes, Father”. Secularists say “Enh, Baba”. The context and content are what matters, and lies – where established – raise bothersome issues such as Integrity Deficiency.
“Such beginnings – and instances are numerous – have culminated in the open intimidation of the Court of Last Resort, even before proceedings have begun.
“Intimidation and threats are merely the obverse complements of material inducement. Those who fail to appreciate this are entirely free to their existence in an illusory world.”