Obidients Criticize Soyinka, Moghalu for Comments on Datti

Renowned Nigerian writer and Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has come under fire from supporters of the Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.

The backlash on social media followed Soyinka’s criticism of Baba-Ahmed’s statement on the Supreme Court, which he described as “fascistic language.”

In an interview with Channels Television, Soyinka also cautioned Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, that the attitudes of his followers could contribute to his loss in the recent presidential election.

However, supporters of Obi, known as “Obidients,” took to Twitter to express their displeasure with Soyinka’s comments. Some accused him of bias in favor of President-elect Bola Tinubu, while others pointed to his failure to tear up his US green card after Donald Trump’s election win.

Meanwhile, Kingsley Moghalu, the candidate of the Young Progressives Party in the 2019 presidential election, defended Soyinka on Twitter, describing him as a “principled fighter for justice.” Moghalu’s comments also drew criticism from some Twitter users, who accused him of being jealous of Obi and failing to recognize Soyinka’s flaws.