One wonders why Prof. Wole Soyinka is crying more than the bereaved. His recent malevolent disposition towards the Obidients is becoming increasingly alarming and worrisome despite Peter Obi’s extension of an olive branch to him on their behalf, a move that many people criticized as unnecessary. Perhaps, his resentment is occasioned by a bruised ego meted out to him by the Obidients. This is the way egocentric individuals who think that they have a monopoly and repository of knowledge feels when they are challenged, especially if it is coming from unexpected quarters- the young, the ‘unlearned’, the simple-minded, and the ordinary fellow on the street.
The likes of Wole Soyinka ought to have realized that ‘our mumu don do’; in other words, enough of our foolishness. In the past, he used his ‘big ‘ grammar to hoodwink Nigerians into accepting Buhari’s candidacy. Nigerians should have smelt a rat when they saw a so-called Professor championing the cause of a person without WASC. In the first instance, I think he was jealous of GEJ, the first Ph.D. holder to preside over the affairs of this country. Despite his high-sounding words and claim of intellectualism, no one ever thought of suggesting him for any political post. Therefore, like the biblical king Saul, he became jealous when Nigerians innocently sang the praises of GEJ to the high heavens as the first Ph.D. holder to rule this nation.
He couldn’t stomach this seeming infraction, hence the need to criticize and demonize Jonathan at every given opportunity. Despite all the show of ignominy that we witnessed in Buhari’s government, never for once did he criticize him. I guess it’s because Buhari did everything perfectly well, but he forgot that Nigerians were watching, those who have been misled into buying a ‘change’ that eventually turned out to be a one-chance syndrome. They have become wise to know that a BAT presidency is a continuation of that demonic change, hence the need to follow Peter Obi who has now become their nemesis.
At this juncture, I feel it is germane to educate the likes of Prof. Wole Soyinka about the Obidient movement which is a coming together of Nigerians who identify with the political beliefs and ideologies of Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, a new breed politician who represents the hopes and aspirations of the common man as we can see from his speeches and body language. A larger percentage of Nigeria’s electorate, most of whom are youths, belong to this movement because they see a man who represents their future, our future. The Obidient movement has become a tsunami that started like water molecules connecting from different topographies, and aggregating to form a formidable water body strong enough to pull down monuments of gargantuan sizes regardless of how long they have stood.
They are pockets of people sharing similar ideals, ideas, and desire for a better and a new Nigeria where the leaders truly represent truthfulness, righteousness, and justice; virtues which, altogether find expression in one man, Peter Gregory Obi. These all coalesce from different tribes, creeds, sociocultural beliefs, religious beliefs, and geopolitical zones irrespective of age, and educational background to form a formidable tsunami that is upturning existing traditional political structures even though seasoned political analysts, most of whom are on the payroll of the old guard, have dubbed them as structure-less. Providentially, Peter Obi has turned out to be the arrowhead of this movement.
No doubt, the Obidient movement has defied all traditional approaches/logic of politicking in Nigeria – no godfatherism, no structure, no vote-buying, no favoritism, no bullying/gangsterism; but yes to a pragmatic appeal to the conscience of a dying nation through the well researched, logical, persuasive solution-providing campaign to the plethora of problems that have plagued the Nigerian state. All the aforementioned are the ideals, principles, and policies that characterized Obi’s political campaign, and this represents the ideals of the average Nigerian.
While INEC has made its selection and advised aggrieved parties to go to court, a counsel which Peter Obi obliged; unlike Soyinka who is never a party to the suit, Tinubu appears more relaxed, perhaps because of assurances that he might have received from the lords of the courts which are oblivious to him. Someone should help us tell Wole Soyinka to calm down: ‘Grandpa, please be calming down’. At a recent book launch, he couldn’t hide his animosity against the Obidients who, like him, also have the inalienable right to follow any political ideology or politician who believes in their ideals and ideologies; otherwise, what is the connection between “The Putin Files: Excursions Around The Ideology Of Pain” and the Obidients whom he labeled as fools?
I think that Wole Soyinka has murdered sleep, which is why he cannot sleep over the quests of the obidients who have proved to be a formidable threat to the political aspiration of his benefactor, BAT. He should cry no more because Obidients are presently seeking redress in the court through their principal, Peter Obi. He and his acolytes expected the obidients to file out into the streets in a protest which has been fated to go the way of the anti-SARS protest. Unfortunately, they were beaten to their own game. The Obidients have grown wiser. There is a better and more civil strategy, which is recourse to the courts that have lost their sanctity, respect, and, regard because it has been tainted with allegations of corruption.
Grandpa Wole Soyinka needs to answer certain questions. One, whose script was he playing when he tried to obfuscate the meaning of fascism and pretended not to hear of the “and” debate in the 25% constitutional requirement that must be satisfied by whoever must be declared as the winner of the presidential election. Whose script was he acting when he decided to become the self-appointed spokesman of APC and BAT? Whose script was he acting when he hijacked a radio station in the western region, a criminal action which none of the Obidients have ever dreamt of?
To call Obidients mumu (fools) smacks of incivility on the part of the Nobel laureate. If the Obidients are playing the scripts of others, let it be their bother, and not his. He shouldn’t be overtly worried over the personal decisions and dispositions of others. The other day, he described Peter Obi as ” the new kid on the block”. Now, the whole world is getting to know that Peter Obi is not a novice when it comes to Nigerian politics as we can all see how he has strategically presented his case before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
Wole Soyinka needs to be reminded that wisdom is synonymous with old age. Unfortunately, his recent utterances seem to antagonize this timeless saying. Realistically, old age alone does not show the display of wisdom which is a virtue that can only be gotten on the platform of godly fear because paradoxically; the youths, who make up a greater number of the Obidients have displayed an unusual sense of civility, and patience. Ahitophel once manifested this wisdom until he chose to stay on the wrong side of the divide. When a man pitches his tent with thieves, liars, hypocrites, and malevolent personalities, he will need a lot of misbehaviour to authenticate this evil alliance; and this is an uphill task that Wole Soyinka is hoping to achieve.
