Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka has told former President Olusegun Obasanjo to stop parading himself as the solution to Nigeria’s problem.
Soyinka said Obasanjo has “crossed the redline” and his Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) does not deserve praise.
He made this known on the sidelines of the 67th World Congress of the International Press Institute (IPI) held in Abuja.
Soyinka said, “As for Obasanjo, I have news for him. And it has been a progressive thing. You see me and Obasanjo fist to cuffs today and the following morning, you might see us embracing each other. Circumstances are always important and even when he was in power, if you could remember, there were numerous times when I had to criticize him.
“I believe Obasanjo has really crossed the red line because he is trying to put himself as the head of a recovery process. He is trying to hijack the recovery process in this nation and I say that he is one of the least worthy of one of the former heads of state to lead that kind of movement.
“ I have brought out a publication about that, the title is in Latin but it means; who watches the watchmen.
“That publication is coming out simply because I will like to see new blood in governance in this nation and I think these corrupt and hypocritical geriatrics should stop recycling themselves and they should stop trying to co-opt their former cronies to take over the reigns of governance in this nation.
“I invite you on July 3 to Freedom Park in Lagos when a little pamphlet would be published in which finally, we confront Obasanjo with events of the past which incidentally are not being newly articulated.
“This nation forgets very very fast … Obasanjo is one the greatest hypocritical leader this nation has ever produced.”