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Obidients sowing seeds of Fascism, climate of fear– Soyinka

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1 year ago

April 7, 2023

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Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, on Friday cautioned supporters of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party, saying that they are sowing seeds of Fascism and generating a climate of fear with their views on opposing views.

On Wednesday, Soyinka faulted the remarks by Datti Baba-Ahmed, vice-presidential candidate of the LP, saying they contained “fascistic language”.

Baba-Ahmed had said the country has no president-elect despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announcing Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election.

The LP vice-presidential candidate said Tinubu would be leading an unconstitutional government if sworn into office because the APC candidate “has not met requirements of the law”.

In a subsequent statement, the Nobel laureate said he warned Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the LP, that his supporters — dubbed ‘Obidients’ — may cost him the election.

Soyinka’s comments elicited anger from the ‘Obidients’, especially on social media platforms.

In a statement on Friday, Soyinka said Obidients have worn their refusal to accept constructive criticism as a badge of honour.

He maintained that the LP was sowing seeds of fascism and generating a climate of fear.

Soyinka asked the LP supporters to refrain from attacking and embrace fair hearing in situations of conflict.

“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! The seeds of incipient fascism in the political arena have evidently matured. A climate of fear is being generated,” Soyinka said.

“The refusal to entertain corrective criticism, even differing perspectives of the same position has become a badge of honour and certificate of commitment.

“What is at stake, ultimately is – Truth, and at a most elementary level of social regulation: when you are party to a conflict, you do not attempt to intimidate the arbiter, attempt to dictate the outcome, or impugn, without credible cause, his or her neutrality even before hearing has commenced. That is a ground rule of just proceeding. Short of this, Truth remains permanently elusive.

“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.”