Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has become the target of social‑media backlash after he condemned a statement made by Labour Party vice‑presidential candidate Datti Baba‑Ahmed. Baba‑Ahmed, whose ticket with Peter Obi placed third in the February 25 presidential election, described the Supreme Court in terms that Soyinka called “fascistic language.” In an interview with Channels Television, Soyinka said, “I denounced the menacing utterances of a vice‑presidential aspirant as unbecoming. It was a gladiatorial challenge directed at the judiciary and, by implication, the rest of the democratic polity.”
Baba‑Ahmed and Obi are currently before the presidential election petition tribunal, contesting the results that declared President‑elect Bola Tinubu the winner, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. During the interview, Soyinka revealed that he had warned Obi that a loss would reflect the attitude of his followers.
The Nobel laureate’s remarks sparked criticism from Obi’s supporters, known as “Obidients,” who flooded Twitter with disdain. One user, @ucheinspires, alleged that Soyinka has a personal relationship with Tinubu’s family, writing, “It will not be surprising to me if he goes after anyone perceived to be against his dearly beloved friend and brother Tinubu.” Another, @iangobo, claimed, “Grandpa Soyinka must have been brought back home to lend Tinubu his voice as a beneficiary of Tinubu’s largesse. I didn’t expect anything less from him.” A third user, @BishopPOEvang, recalled Soyinka’s earlier promise to tear up his US green card if Trump won, noting that the promise was never fulfilled.
Defending Soyinka, Kingsley Moghalu—candidate of the Young Progressives Party in the 2019 presidential election—tweeted that the laureate is “a principled fighter for justice in our country and around the world… He survived dictators. He will survive you.” Moghalu’s defense attracted a torrent of replies, garnering over 4,000 comments, most of them critical. One commenter, @Polsaph, wrote, “Jealousy! You wish you were Peter Obi, right?” while @OjiUgo_nwa retorted, “So, because he endorsed your candidacy in 2019 he’s above criticism? This is really laughable; wake up because this is 2023 and we’re on a mission to set this country on the right path.”
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