Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has questioned Peter Obi's fitness to lead Nigeria, citing the Labour Party candidate's handling of his 'Obidient' supporters who trolled and attacked critics during the 2023 election campaign.
In a scathing critique of Peter Obi's leadership potential, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has questioned the former presidential candidate's fitness to govern Nigeria, citing the conduct of his supporters during the 2023 election campaign as a disqualifying factor for future electoral bids.
In a recent interview with Noble Nigeria, Soyinka condemned Obi and his team, accusing them of orchestrating online trolls, known as 'Obidients,' who attacked him and other notable figures who challenged the Labour Party's campaign strategies. "When I read these things, I was disgusted. There's no other word for it. I was disgusted, and I know that it was orchestrated," Soyinka said, referring to the personal attacks and manufactured facts propagated by Obi's supporters on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
The literary icon expressed concern over the implications of a potential leader encouraging such divisive behavior among his followers, especially in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society like Nigeria. "It is depressing to see those who wanted to be political leaders encouraging that kind of action, that kind of attitude in the youth," Soyinka lamented.
He warned that those who sow the wind will eventually reap the whirlwind, alluding to the potential consequences of such tactics. "One of these days, they would be astonished, they would turn on them and teach them a lesson," Soyinka cautioned.
Reflecting on Obi's candidacy, the Nobel Laureate declared, "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."
Soyinka's condemnation of Obi's leadership potential stems from the perception that the former Anambra governor failed to rein in the toxic behavior of his supporters, a trait the literary icon deems crucial for anyone aspiring to lead a diverse nation like Nigeria.
