By visiting Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Labour Party presidential candidate in the recent election, Mr. Peter Obi, has thrown his numerous supporters under the bus.
By Fred Chukwuelobe
By visiting Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the recent election, Mr. Peter Obi, has thrown his numerous supporters under the bus. He had no reason to make that visit. I disagree with him.
Recall that Prof. Soyinka had berated members of the Obidient Movement whom he called “fascists”. The respected playwright spoke on Arise Television and fiercely criticised Obi’s supporters leading to exchanges on social media with internationally acclaimed novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie weighing in, especially on the choice of the word, “fascist”.
Peter Obi’s visit to Soyinka has been taken advantage of by supporters of his main rival in that election, President-elect, Bola Tinubu, who claimed he reached out to Soyinka to ‘apologise’ for the attacks on him by Obidents.
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Although Soyinka has denied such claims, the visit has already gained traction among them, and seen by the BATists as an advantage. It will be difficult for Peter Obi to convince his supporters that the visit was necessary. I do not think it was.
He has simply told his supporters that he does not approve of the attacks on Soyinka; that he is not a fascist, and does not associate with fascists.
Mr. Peter Obi should take a break, lie low and allow the courts determine the case he has filed against the president-elect. Moving around the country, attending the court session, visiting Soyinka, and other movements he’s making are gradually eroding his standing before many of his supporters.
Forget the ovation he receives when he is seen in public. A bandwagon does not reason. A bandwagon is like a mob. It acts on emotion and on impulse.
By visiting Soyinka, Peter Obi is seen to have distanced himself from the criticisms levelled against his supporters by the Nobel Laureate. Henceforth, many of his supporters may begin to walk back on the ferocious loyalty with which they support him. This visit portrays him as someone who wants to be seen to be ‘good’, while leaving his supporters in utter bewilderment as to the character of the politician they support.
Meanwhile, the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has stated that “God may use Tinubu to repair Nigeria.” The respected GO who kept quiet throughout the election, particularly on the issue of same faith ticket, has suddenly found his voice. Many have already taken to social media to criticise him, with DJ Switch asking him which ‘god’ he’s talking about. Soon Peter Obi will forget what happened to him when he attended the RCCG crusade, and go visiting Adeboye.
I say this, and I make no pretenses about it; Peter Obi is being desperate and cheapening himself, reducing his acceptability in the eyes of many of his supporters.
By visiting Soyinka, I repeat, Peter Obi has thrown his supporters under the bus. He shouldn’t have paid that visit. What for?
Fred Chukwuelobe is a senior journalist and public affairs analyst
