By Innocent Samuel, September 15, 2023, News/Comments
ABUJA-The Nigeria Labour Party (LP) and Nobel Laureate prize winner, Prof Wole Soyinka have engaged in fireworks over the party’s loss of the February 25 presidential election. The professor while speaking at an event tagged: “The Lives of Wole Soyinka — A Dialogue’’ in Stellenbosch, South Africa, had accused the leadership of LP of trying to force “a lie” on Nigerians, that Mr. Peter Obi won the election, thereby creating falsehood among the youths.
Soyinka hinted that Obi achieved “something remarkable” by breaking the monopoly of power created by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while expressing his displeasure. Read part of the professor’s outburst:
“This recent election – two things happened, first of all. One party took over the labour movement, which is not my favourite movement, and then it became a regional party. “Whereas it was a marvellous breach into the established two camps. Peter Obi achieved something remarkable there, that he broke that mould. 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. They were going to send some of the hardliners, proud young people into the street to demonstrate. I’m also ready to be among such demonstrators but only on the banner of truth not on lies, and deceit”.
“This party wanted the same thing (referring to 2011 post-election violence) to happen on the basis of a lie and we found this vice-presidential candidate on television boasting, insisting, threatening and trying to intimidate both the judiciary and the rest.
“What kind of government will result from that kind of conduct? In addition, they did not know this but they were being used.
“Before the election, there were certain clandestine forces, including some ex-generals, who were already calling for an interim government before the elections began. “Some of them were known figures, including a proprietor of a university calling for an interim government before the election took place.”
Meanwhile, LP, in a swift reaction berates the literary Icon , noting that he has reduced himself to what the party describes as playing double standard. This was contained in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Mr. Obiora Iffoh, even as the party eulogised Soyinka on his world accomplishments and dignity , but strongly disagree with “his prognosis and personal opinion on the performance of our party during the 2023 general elections.
“The facts are before the courts and out of respect for our judiciary, we will reserve our comments until the Supreme Court makes a final pronouncement. We understand that the literary giant is human and thus susceptible to emotions and probably said what he said based on information made available to him by those who share the ‘Emilokan sentiment” ’.
“It’s rather interesting that the erudite Prof. Soyinka who owned up to having an electoral “monitoring unit” conveniently glossed over INEC’s legerdemain leading to substantial non compliance and erosion of constitutional dictates, just as he conveniently glossed over the INEC’s advanced ‘gbajue’ of 25 February that has surreptitiously installed the King of ‘gbajue’ in Aso Rock”.
“It is most befuddling as well as disconcerting that a detribalized and activist Soyinka would succumb to the groupthink syndrome that subscribes to State Capture by those belonging to the criminal fringe by any means, based on primordial considerations.
“We really appreciate him for at least giving some credits to the Labour Party and its Presidential candidate for breaking the monopoly of power hitherto held by the two other parties. We also noted his admission of his willingness to be part of a demonstration which would be based on the banner of truth.
“However we are aware that Soyinka resides in Lagos state and he was in Nigeria on February 25 when elections were held in Nigeria. He watched probably with a glee when a certain individual in Lagos warned non-indigenes to vote a particular political party or risk being deported to their place of birth, and he never condemned it. There were ballot boxes that were snatched by thugs in a polling booth right in front of his house, he didn’t condemn it. We are still looking for where he came out to condemn the unprovoked attacks on our supporters in Lagos by members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, during the last elections,”
“As someone who is known to demonstrate based on truth, we didn’t hear as much as a whisper from Kongi reminding INEC to stand by its word.
“We will not allege selective amnesia as the reason for Soyinka’s wrong prognosis but we would have expected him to be a statesman which we thought he was by remaining on the side of caution and not exhibiting dual character of someone who may be blinded by some chauvinistic tendencies.
“We would rather keep our impression about his recent dual personality with us. We want to also let him know that building a New Nigeria is a dream which time has come and Nigerian youths will not relent until such a dream is realized,” the party added.
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