Wole Soyinka Warns Peter Obi about "Obidients" and Criticizes Media Coverage
Nigerian Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has spoken out about his concerns regarding the behavior of supporters of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, whom he refers to as "Obidients." In a statement titled "Media Responsibility" issued on Tuesday, Soyinka emphasized the responsibility of the media in accurately transmitting messages to the public, particularly during times of civic uncertainty. Soyinka also stated that his recent interview with Channels Television had been misrepresented, with his comments taken out of context and distorted in a way that made them unrecognizable.
During the interview, which aired on the TV station a week ago on Monday, Soyinka criticized the utterances of a vice-presidential aspirant and condemned physical violence inflicted on those designated as "strangers" in Lagos during the governorship elections. He called the selectivity of media coverage "a betrayal of trust" and argued that his rejection of fascism was grounded in "indisputable evidence." Soyinka further stressed that the final word on the elections had yet to be pronounced, rendering any commentary on the subject tendentious.
Soyinka also expressed concern over allegations that he had given "instructions" to LP supporters. He stated that he was not a member of the party and therefore could not have given instructions. However, he did acknowledge that he had contributed to the creation of the movement over several years and expressed disappointment that its followers were threatening the totality of social existence by resorting to violence and behaving in a fascistic manner.
In conclusion, Soyinka called on the media to exercise caution and responsibility in their reporting, reminding them of their critical role in transmitting information to the public. He also urged politicians and their supporters to refrain from violence and to respect the democratic process, emphasizing that the future of Nigeria was at stake.