Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has voiced his disapproval and disgust towards the behavior of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, and his supporters during the campaign.
News About Nigeria reports that the renowned literary icon commented in a recent interview with Noble Nigeria.
Soyinka alleged that Obi was behind the online trolls who hurled insults at him and other prominent figures who raised critical questions about the party’s campaign.
The Nobel Laureate was repeatedly targeted by Obi’s supporters, known as ‘Obidients’ on social media platforms, particularly on X. He characterized these online trolls as “foot soldiers” who were “trained” to launch attacks on anyone who dared to disagree with their views.
“It has to do with education,” Soyinka said. “I didn’t read all these (insults by Obidient Movement) but of course, some links were sent to me, especially when facts were ‘being manufactured’. When I read these things, I was disgusted. There’s no other word for it. I was disgusted and I know that it was orchestrated.”
He added, “I know that there is a relay mechanism, which is triggered into action by those who control what we call the trolls of the Internet, and so my disgust and contempt. I just went about my business, you know, because nobody, anybody on this earth who thinks they can stop me telling the truth as I see it needs to have his or her head examined. It’s as elementary as that.”
Soyinka accused Obi of encouraging his supporters to attack anyone who disagreed with them, which he believed showed that Obi was unfit to lead the country.
“I hope for the sake of the nation that he doesn’t express interest in the next election because for me as a leader, if there was any proof that he was unfit to lead that country, it’s in the conduct which he encouraged among his followers,” Soyinka said.
Soyinka also expressed his sadness at the fact that Obi and his team were encouraging such behavior among young people. “It’s depressing to see those who wanted to be political leaders encouraging that kind of action, that kind of attitude in the youth. And my mind went to the expression, ‘They don’t know what they’re doing’. Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind,” he said.
This is not the first time Soyinka has slammed Peter Obi and his team.
Soyinka had, in September 2023, accused the leadership of the opposition party of trying to force “a lie” on Nigerians, especially youths, that Obi won the election.
The Nobel laureate commented while speaking at an event in South Africa.
He noted that Obi achieved “something remarkable” by breaking the monopoly of power established by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said, “Peter Obi achieved something remarkable there, that he broke that mold. However, he did not win the election. I can say categorically that Peter Obi’s party came third, not even second, and the leadership knew it, but they want to do what we call in Yoruba ‘gbajue’, that is, force of lies.”
It should be noted that Obi, who was the second runner-up in the 2023 presidential election, claimed to have won it. According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rigged the election to favour the eventual winner, Bola Tinubu.
