Obi visits Soyinka, seeks end to frosty relationship with supporters

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the just-concluded election, Peter Obi, has met with Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, at his home in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Obi said his visit to Soyinka on Sunday, May 7, was to erase the misconceptions about the relationship between the renowned playwright and his supporters, fondly called Obidients.

Soyinka had been in rancour with Obi’s supporters after he described the Obidients as the “most repulsive, off-putting concoctions” he has ever encountered in politics.

Soyinka, in April 2023, stressed that Obi’s supporters always refuse to entertain corrective criticism, noting that this has become their “badge of honour and certificate of commitment”.

The revered playwright said this while speaking on the reactions that trailed his condemnation of the interview of the LP’s vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, with Channels TV.

Soyinka had accused Baba-Ahmed of denigrating the country’s judiciary, saying: “I’ve never heard anyone threaten the judiciary on TV the way Datti did.”

However, Obi, in a series of tweets on his Twitter account on Sunday, described his visit to Soyinka as enriching, saying he had a useful discussion with him.

The LP presidential candidate said: “Today I visited one of Nigeria’s most revered figures and an international literary icon Prof Wole Soyinka. Prof Soyinka has been my father whom I hold in very esteem for what he has achieved and stands for in the struggle for a better Nigeria. His reputation as a fighter for justice and equity in our society has been legendary and we will never ignore them.

“I had a very useful and enriching discussion about his aspirations for a better and greater Nigeria, and he shared a lot with me about his dream for a greater, and more inclusive Nigeria.

“I reminded the Nobel laureate of the huge price he paid just before the outbreak of civil war, fighting for the cause of the Igbos

“I cherish this Sunday visit which was intended to erase the needless misconceptions about the relationship between the great icon and the Obidient family,” Obi noted.

The Star

Segun Ojo