As the nation directs her focus on the judiciary for JUSTICE, issues running around the FRAUDULENTLY FLAWED elections continue to trail the BRAZEN theft of the recently concluded Polls.
This time, Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka entered the fray; with his criticism of the Labor Party Vice Presidential candidate, Yusuf Baba Ahmed Datti’s call for a halt to Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inauguration as president; come may 29.
The Prof went a step further to LABEL the Obedients, a FASCIST mob.
Predictably, this has ticked off majority of Nigerians who voted for the Labor Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Without sentiments, I will attempt to look at the issues and the justification for the position taken by either side.
First, you need to understand Soyinka, as a person.
My personal experience with the Prof, LIMITED as it was, provided me a one on one knowledge of the Laureate.
Soyinka is a GOOD man. Of course, he is a GREAT man; by all standards and consideration.
He is COMPASSIONATE; but most of all, he is FIERCELY LOYAL!
That last trait is what has made Soyinka, the GRAND COMMANDER of a CIVIL ARMY; whose OPERATIVES are actively present in virtually every facet of endeavor and governance.
From his youth, he has been an ACTIVIST whose aspiration is not just the emancipation of the African continent from colonial rule; but the RESTORATION of the integrity and dignity of the African; beginning with his nation, Nigeria.
In the course of that campaign, he would CONDONE anyone with something to OFFER in the bid to ENTHRONE justice, fairness and equity in government.
The end justifies the MEANS for his GOOD CAUSE!
He demonstrated his SELFLESS PASSION for the defense of a GOOD CAUSE; during the June 12 campaign; to RECOVER MKO Abiola’s STOLEN mandate from Ibrahim Babangida and later, Sani Abacha.
It is no news that Abacha wanted Soyinka; dead or alive!
So, the Prof had to seek UNORTHODOX routes to ESCAPE into exile.
Now, you must know that unorthodox routes or means are NOT peopled or manned by Holy or Pure people.
All Prof needed, at the time, was to RUN for his dear life; whether his safety is FACILITATED by a felon, miscreant or prostitute, it doesn’t matter.
It is the ONLY option left for any human being; because FACED with such unholy options in the face of death, ANY of us, will GLADLY and GRATEFULLY accept it.
So long as the end justified the MEANS to SAVING his life.
This explained why it was okay for him, at the time, to ENDORSE in WRITING; a dubious intercontinental RICE TRANSACTION; just to LOGISTICALLY advance the June 12 cause.
So, let’s look at June 12 itself…
Soyinka, like other Nigerians WITNESSED the very BEST election in the history of Nigeria; where a Yoruba man was WIDELY FAVORED and VOTED for; over a Fulani man.
The election was virtually DEVOID of violence, ballot snatching, thuggery and bigotry; and Abiola was ACKNOWLEDGED as the DULY ELECTED WINNER of that election.
Unfortunately, in a brazen manner IBB annulled the results.
So, it was indeed a GOOD cause for Soyinka to throw in his all; for the good of the country.
However, in this case, it was CLEAR not hearsay; backed with video evidence of violence, thuggery, bigotry and ballot box snatching…
It was clear that the elections were not only FRAUDULENT, the extent of the CRIMINALITY with which the Polls were conducted, made them indisputably NONE CREDIBLE!
As I have stated in some of my write ups, Soyinka’s SILENCE over all these is too loud to be ignored.
If he had kept quiet, I would have posited that, perhaps, the Prof is too PISSED with Nigeria and her hammer house of horror dramas, to say anything; so, would rather keep his opinion to himself.
To pick on the weakest spot or moment in the Labor Party resentment of an EVIDENTLY flawed election; during Yusuf Datti’s now controversial interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Channel’s tv, is, to say the least, kind of cheap on Prof’s part.
Watching the two interviews; Datti’s in channels and Soyinka’s on Arise tv, I got a good picture of what this whole issue may be all about.
It is surprising that Soyinka did not DEEM it fit to CONDEMN in the strongest word possible, the brutality, criminality and gangsterism that characterized the elections throughout the period of the campaigns, elections and post elections.
It is more worrying that he did not want to BELIEVE the INEC IREV results as being displayed online.
Knowing Kongi, I am pretty sure, his PRICELESS community of INTEL would have given him the results in REAL TIME; especially as made possible by the INEC IREV portal; for the period it lasted; during the elections and for the period, the portal was opened for the floodgates of the hitherto hidden presidential results.
He or his lietenants may never admit this, but I believe Soyinka was following and has been kept abreast; with both biased and objective accounts of the recently concluded elections.
Yes, to CONFESS to you, Datti did go a bit overboard; calling for, or IMPLYING the STOPPAGE of the inauguration of a president – elect.
Even if, as in this case, the president – elect was CRIMINALLY awarded the certificate, the Labor Party VP needed a little RESTRAINT in his use of language.
However, you can’t BLAME him; because, this same APC is on record to have THREATENED to form a PARALLEL GOVERNMENT to the administration of Goodluck Jonathan; should APC be denied its victory at the polls.
Thankfully, Goodman and Gentleman, Jonathan allowed peace to rein; and surrendered to the results.
So what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
If APC could make such a TREASONABLE threat to a SITTING government, why can’t a Labor Party express its DISCONTENT with the results of the WORST election ever conducted in the history of humanity; in Nigeria.
A little digression here, please…
I heard that the outgoing government of Mohammadu Buhari, has borrowed $800 million from World bank; as palliatives against the removal of fuel subsidy.
I hear madam Finance Minister, Zainab wants to share the money to 50 million Nigerians at N5,000 monthly for one year or so.
Meanwhile, by the time the SO CALLED subsidy is REMOVED, fuel will be selling at N500-N1,000 per liter.
So, these 50 million Nigerians will be exhausting their N5k monthly in one or two nights of buying five to ten liters of petrol for their generators.
Worse still, high cost of foodstuffs, services and transportation will WIPE all that out in less than one week.
That is NOT my issue, here, however.
The issue for me is the World bank…
This bank is supposed to be peopled by highly INTELLIGENT Economist and financial experts whose judgements and decisions should ALWAYS make sense; for the Greater GOOD of its Client-countries.
If such a highly respected global financial institution decides to give out a Loan; just so a quarter of the population can share it; as a cushioning agent; against the biting economic consequences of the eventual removal of fuel subsidy… Then, you begin to wonder if they employed MALFUNCTIONING AIs to arrive at such a SENSELESS and THOUGHTLESS decision.
If world bank really meant well for Nigeria, what it should be doing, is to give such monies to Dangote and other Private Refineries to help get them to FAST TRACK their plants; so they can quickly go into operations; because that is the RIGHT THING to do.
As a matter of fact, that is the ONLY OPTION, any RESPONSIBLE government – outgoing or incoming- should do.
Meanwhile, his media managers and minders are making it look like its a SWEET surprise; jagaban is holding in his pouche; for the Creditors, not Nigerians, I dare say.
Saying the decision to remove subsidy is in the hands of Tinubu, is correct.
Concerning, is the fact that UNLIKE Peter Obi who came out SEVERALLY to describe and DENOUNCE the downstream sector of Nigeria’s oil and gas as a CRIMINAL enterprise, Tinubu has never DARED to touch the matter.
At best, he speaks the OVER the HEAD technical jargons, mischievous experts have used all these years and decades to insult the collective intelligence of Nigerians; with words; such as REFORM etc.
With this latest move by the world bank, I’m worried, we don’t enter another IBB-styled negotiation with a global financial institution; just to be ALLOWED to get power.
Whether, you want to admit or believe it or not, I can tell you for free; that Tinubu will be NEGOTIATING his ENTRY into power; at all cost, from every and ANY strategic global institution that could stand in his way.
You can bet, his personal interest, to be in POWER at all cost and by EVERY MEANS necessary would be on the table as his offer.
My take here, is that IF Tinubu won the election FAIR and SQUARE, you bet his rein will be peaceful and supported; even by those who voted against him.
Everyone, like Peter Obi said, just wants a Nigeria that WORKS! Period!
Back to interrogating Soyinka’s current intervention in the ongoing election controversy…
He accused the Labor Party response to the election as FASCIST…
What is fascism?
fascism: a political theory advocating an authoritarian hierarchical government (as opposed to democracy or liberalism).
That is the ideology to which the Prof would love to ascribe to the majority of Nigerians; who AFFECTIONATELY call THEMSELVES Obedients.
Tinubu emerged with his EMILOKAN ideology to ASSERT his agenda on the entire election and its process; even if it means FIGHTING DIRTY; ( though this was later denied in words by his media establishment, but demonstrated in ACTION during the violence and OPEN thuggery, ethnic profiling and brigandage that attended the elections).
Transliterated, emilokan simply means IT IS MY TURN!
Does that not INSINUATE an AUTHORITARIAN HIERARCHICAL ENTITLEMENT to a Post belonging to NOBODY; but only to ONE who RIGHTLY emerges from a decent and fair CONTEST?
The OUTCOME of which MUST be DEVOID of criminality, violence and fraud?
From the foregoing, it is obvious that those who CRIMINALLY and FRAUDULENTLY manipulated the elections and its results did it; with a FASCISTIC agenda!
In conclusion, my advise to Prof is to stay off this lane; because it may be INJURIOUS to his hard-earned INTEGRITY.
He needs to keep away from it; because Tinubu is his BELOVED friend and secondly, EXISTING hard EVIDENCE puts his position in some moral jeopardy; that THREATENS to IMPERIL his GOOD name.

Chris Otaigbe Writes From Lagos, Nigeria