Playwright and Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has described “Obidients” as one of the most repulsive, off‑putting concoctions he has ever encountered in any political arena. The term “Obidients” refers to supporters of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who contested the February 25 presidential election. In a statement titled “Fascism on Course (I)” released on Friday, Soyinka condemned the fascist language used by the Labour Party’s vice‑presidential candidate, Datti Baba‑Ahmed, who attempted to dictate judgment to the Supreme Court during a Channels TV interview about the poll won by All Progressives Congress candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Soyinka also faulted voter suppression observed in some Lagos State polling units during the March 18 governorship and House of Assembly elections, and he highlighted other related issues surrounding the presidential election.
In a Tuesday statement titled “Media Responsibility,” Soyinka noted that his interview with Channels TV had been distorted, rendering his remarks unrecognisable. Online, the Obidients trolled Soyinka, also targeting former Central Bank deputy governor Kingsley Moghalu, who had praised Soyinka’s objectivity in a tweet, calling him “a phenomenon that unlettered and uncultured people may not fully understand in an age of lazy social media.” Obi and Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar are currently challenging the election result in court.
Soyinka’s latest statement warned that a “record discharge of toxic sludge” from the nation’s “notorious smut factory” is clogging the streets and sewers of a “republic of liars.” He argued that the seeds of incipient fascism have matured, creating a climate of fear where refusing corrective criticism has become a badge of honour. He stressed that truth is at stake and that, at a basic level of social regulation, a party to a conflict should not intimidate the arbiter, dictate outcomes, or impugn neutrality without credible cause. Without these ground rules, truth remains elusive, and the ensuing cacophony is bewildering.
Soyinka suggested that the current turmoil may be a ploy to smother more trenchant issues, such as revelations of a religious war. He reiterated his long‑standing opposition to religious fundamentalism, which he says justifies butchery, kidnapping, and enslavement of students in the name of religion. He dismissed the alleged gaffe of a political aspirant as inconsequential, but found the “grotesque fantasy” of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court—imagined as a wheelchair‑bound figure zooming off in space to secret meetings—sufficiently frightening. He described the subsequent television tirade of intimidation as more than the antics of the mentally deranged, noting a familiar pattern: ridicule, incrimination, then intimidation, aimed at undermining the structure of justice. He reminded readers that “Justice is the first condition of humanity.”
Agreeing with Seun Kuti, Soyinka called “Obidients” one of the most repulsive concoctions he has ever encountered, while acknowledging that some love it, which he sees as an expression of freedom. He also commented on the viral audio of Obi speaking with Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church Worldwide. Obi, who claimed the audio was doctored, allegedly described the poll as a “religious war” and ended the conversation with “Yes Daddy.” Soyinka observed that such phrases are culturally neutral—Roman Catholics say “Yes, Father,” secularists say “Enh, Baba”—and that the context and content matter, especially when lies raise concerns about integrity.
Soyinka condemned any extra‑judicial tactics—such as bribery, intimidation, or threats—used by parties to influence adjudication. He warned that planning to send assassins after critical analysts would only deepen the nation’s crisis, urging reflection rather than demonisation of dissenting voices. For those seriously committed to democracy, he advised pulling back, regrouping, and rethinking, noting that democracy can be a long haul and that many have been at it for a while.
Anticipating further online attacks from Obidients, Soyinka said he was aware his remarks would invite more “nauseous bilge” from the besotted, and he invited such criticism as part of a “season of self‑flagellation.” He condemned the ₦5 million fine imposed on Channels TV by the National Broadcasting Commission over the controversial Datti interview, offering to engage the LP vice‑presidential candidate—or any of his nominees—on the station’s platform, provided the interview was conducted fairly and without media trolls. He argued that sustaining the penalty rewards those who turn the internet into a “soakaway for rancid emissions” and silences dissent, and he reiterated his willingness to debate the issue one‑on‑one with the same interviewer as mediator.
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