Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka criticized Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, calling him “unfit” to lead Nigeria. In an interview with Noble Eyisi on Thursday, Soyinka expressed his hope that Obi does not run in the 2027 presidential election.
Recall that Obi finished third in the 2023 presidential election, behind Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Soyinka’s criticism focused on Obi’s alleged encouragement of inappropriate behavior among his supporters. He stated, “I hope for the sake of the nation that he doesn’t express interest in the next election because for me as a leader, if there was any proof that he was unfit to lead that country, it’s in the conduct which he encouraged among his followers. I know for a fact that he was in control of those forces.”
He went on to accuse dishonest political leaders of fostering divisive actions, warning that such actions could backfire on them in the future. Soyinka said, “It has to do with education.
I didn’t read all these insults from Obidients but of course, some links were sent to me, especially when facts were being manufactured. I know that there is a relay mechanism, which is triggered into action by those who control what we call the trolls of the internet, and so my disgust and contempt.”
Soyinka expressed disappointment in political leaders who, in his view, encourage negative behavior among the youth. He stated, “I just went about my business, you know, because nobody, anybody on this earth who thinks they can stop me telling the truth as I see it needs to have his or her head examined. It’s as elementary as that.
But it is depressing to see those who wanted to be political leaders encouraging that kind of action, that kind of attitude in the youth.”
Reflecting on the implications of such behavior, Soyinka remarked, “And my mind went to the expression: ‘They don’t know what they’re doing’. Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind. One of these days, they would be astonished, they would turn on them and teach them a lesson.”
He concluded by emphasizing the importance of unity and competence in leadership, saying, “And so, my attitude was very blasé but it is for me a sad phenomenon, especially for those who want to lead a multi-textured (society) different religions, different ethnic groups, different worldviews who actually want to preside over such a group as one. It means that they have already declared themselves incompetent to lead such an entity.”
