Supporters of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who are popularly called Obidients, have berated a former presidential candidate, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu for allegedly calling them “unlettered and uncultured”.
Moghalu had put out a tweet defending Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who released a Tuesday statement in which he revealed that he told Obi three times that his supporters would cost him the February 25 presidential election.
In an earlier media engagement, Soyinka also faulted the vice-presidential candidate of LP, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, whom he said used “fascistic and unacceptable language” in speaking about the Supreme Court.
“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.
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“But what on earth has happened to my even more urgent condemnation of the physical violence inflicted on those designated “strangers” in Lagos in the lead up to, and during governorship elections?
“This prejudicial selectivity is a betrayal of trust, and I find it contemptuous of public deserving. My critique of incipient fascism in the (Obidient) movement remains grounded in indisputable evidence,” Soyinka said.
The Nobel laureate was viciously attacked by Obidients, who accused him of tacitly supporting the political order that ruined the nation.
The Obidients also objected to the octogenarian’s use of “fascism” to describe their movement, noting that this could send a wrong message to the international community which holds him in high esteem.
Rising to Soyinka’s defence, Moghalu tweeted, “Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka is a principled fighter for justice in our country and around the world. He is a phenomenon that unlettered and uncultured people may not fully understand in an age of lazy social media in which many don’t read or think deep.
“His endorsement of my 2019 presidential candidacy in my short-lived but impactful foray into Nigerian electoral politics remains one of the greatest honours of my life. I view very dimly any criticism of him simply because he’s OBJECTIVE. He survived dictators. He will survive you.”
Moghalu was also not spared by Obidients.
No one is above criticism. Same Soyinka witnessed Buhari as a military dictator and still sold him as a Messiah in 2015. Talking down on your co-citizens who are calling out a gaffe makes you the unlettered and uncultured one here.
— Dr. Kelvin Alaneme (@Kelvin_Alaneme) April 6, 2023
Uncultured because we calling you elders' bull crap????
What exactly do you want us to do after being called fascist??? Is that what you see the Obidients as????
One day you ll need us to defend you as we are doing for PO and ourselves and we ll remind you of this your rubbish…
— Switchild #Dadiyata #voteLPfromtoptobottom (@ehimaggie) April 6, 2023
The world has seen many fighters for Justice who later turned and started cozying with the same type of people they fought or even became those type of people by themselves
Robert Mugabe was a freedom fighter
Paul Biya was a freedom fighter
You need more examples.
Nigerian…
— BIG JOE OF LAGOS 🇳🇬🇫🇷(PhD) (@JosephOnuorah) April 6, 2023
His use of Fascism to describe Obi is academically wrong/deceptive and intellectually hollow. If he endorsed you and you feel indebted, carry some yams 🍠 and chicken 🐔 with your village people to go thank him.
Don’t hand over the future and destiny of 200m people to a drug…
— BIG JOE OF LAGOS 🇳🇬🇫🇷(PhD) (@JosephOnuorah) April 6, 2023
This came from you? Do you know the people that make up the movement? People better than you two put together. I can see that the plan now is to break Peter Obi’s spirit, but God Almighty, who created the Obidient Movement to expose the evil in Nigeria will disappoint all of you.
— Chinwe Duruaku-Agu (@Chi73Its) April 6, 2023
Y’all only comment on issues when it affects you, he endorsed you in 2019 seems to be a YOU problem. Stay on the side of truth as an elderly man or stay away from it completely.
— Maazi (@unapologetic_w) April 6, 2023
Dear Prof. @MoghaluKingsley, the problem is that Prof Wole Soyinka was careless with his choice of words. While defending him, you seem to be making same mistake. Nigerians' mandate was stolen & anyone by any stroke standing on the way of its recovery can't go unscathed.
— Brother Barth (@brotherbarth) April 6, 2023
Fair point.
We are by nature subjective, our default state. However, objectivity is a kinetic state.
So if Prof. Wole Soyinka didn't earn your eternal gratitude, would your comment today have remained unchanged?
"Injustice occurs in one of two ways: when equals are treated…
— Ben+Bella Diaspora (@BenDiaspora) April 6, 2023
He survived dictatorship but now supporting authoritarianism and name calling. Very classy of him!
— Olasupo Jakes – Bsc (Hons), RPN (@JakesOlasupo) April 6, 2023
The arrogance in you is the major reason why you couldn't get up to 100k votes in 2019. Even GRV votes are far more than what you garnered nationally despite Prof Soyinka's endorsement. You're far from Peter Obi. You better pick up lecturing jobs at Anambra State University.
— Moibi Adekunle (@akingbadegroup) April 6, 2023
Oga Kingsley, I fought you before on this space, but that was when I was young. I know you have good intentions, but this is in bad taste.
Growing up, Soyinka was one of the few Nigerians I respected so much. Products of his literary prowess were staples in my childhood…
— Big ED (@RealDimgba) April 6, 2023
Jealousy!🤣 you wish you were Peter Obi right? 🤣🤣
— Godson (@Polsaph) April 6, 2023