The renowned writer, Prof. Wole Soyinka, claimed that certain individuals in Nigeria, who identified as “Obidients,” were foolishly following the agenda of others, advocating for an interim government. He stated that this plan had been devised prior to the presidential election on February 25.
Soyinka, maintained his position that some supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, also known as “Obidients,” were actually fascists.
During a question-and-answer session at the launch of his book titled “The Putin Files: Excursions Around The Ideology Of Pain,” part of the well-known Interventions series in Lagos, Soyinka expressed his disbelief that some members of the Obidient movement considered only governments and government agencies capable of being fascists.
When asked why he referred to the Obidients as fascists by poet and lawyer Ogaga Ifowodo, Soyinka used the 2020 #EndSARS protest as an illustration of a genuine struggle motivated by absolute truth.
“#EndSARS is one of the most successful movements in this country,” he said.He added that he supported the #EndSARS protest and even addressed some protesters when he was leaving Lagos for Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital during the protest.
“They begged me not to go, I said I’m going,” he said and narrated how he “stood on the median and addressed the crowd”.
Soyinka compared the #EndSARS protest to the actions of the Obidients and pointed out that the latter aimed to mobilize young people to defend a falsehood. He personally witnessed a situation where the previous Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, instigated violence against innocent members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) by falsely alleging election fraud.
The renowned writer stated that certain Obidients who portrayed themselves as radicals were merely following a predetermined plan that was devised prior to the presidential election on February 25.
He further explained that well in advance of the election, certain individuals had conspired to manipulate the country’s affairs in order to establish an interim government.
“That tendency had been apparent even before the election,” he said.“So some of those who thought they were being radical, they were being ‘mumu’ (foolish), and “playing the script of others”.
The Nobel laureate said that he knew that after his statement on Friday, a mob of Obidients would again launch an attack against him online by opening what he described as their “dictionary of abuses”, adding that he would be happy to face them.
“They can go back to the internet, open their dictionary of abuses ad start all over again, I will come back and tell them that you are ‘mumu’ (foolish). You were not playing your script,” he said.
He noted that if they were knowledgeable, they would be “able to put two and two together”.
In an interview with Channels Television prior to the presidential election on February 25th, Soyinka expressed his belief that if Obi were to lose the election, it would be his supporters who ultimately contributed to his defeat.
In response to Soyinka’s statement, Obidients expressed their anger towards him through social media and certain widely recognized media outlets.
However, when faced with the critical remarks made by the Obidients, Soyinka offered a response through a statement titled, ‘Fascism on course’ said the “seeds of incipient fascism in the political arena have evidently matured.
”He added, “It would appear that a record discharge of toxic sludge from our notorious smut factory is currently clogging the streets and sewers of the Republic of Liars. It goes to prove the point that provoked the avalanche Exactly!
“A climate of fear is being generated.”
