By Jimmy
The leadership of the Labour Party has clapped back at Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, for accusing the party of attempting to hoodwink Nigerians into believing that its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, won the contentious February 25 election.
This comes in the wake of Soyinka’s declaration on Wednesday that the Labour Party was aware that Obi came third but the leadership persisted in playing “gbajue” (to force a lie) on the people, especially the youthful population.
According to him, the party’s leadership wanted to use the youths’ enthusiasm and vigour to instigate an uprising.
READ MORE: They Are Forcing A Lie On Nigerians – Soyinka Accuses LP, Peter Obi
Labour Party’s Clap Back
Reacting in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, described Soyinka’s statement as not expected of someone who is highly revered as a detribalised statesman.
In the release titled ‘Soyinka: Statesmen are not double-faced, not blind to the truth,’ Ifoh further stated they could not imagine that the playwright could succumb to the ‘groupthink syndrome’ based on primordial considerations.
“Prof. Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian whose accomplishments in the literary world are without doubt intimidating,” Ifoh said. “However, we beg to disagree with his prognosis and personal opinion on the performance of our party during the 2023 general elections. The facts are before the courts and, out of respect for our judiciary, we will reserve our comments until the Supreme Court makes a final pronouncement.
“We understand that the literary giant is human and thus susceptible to emotions and probably said what he said based on information made available to him by those who share the ‘Emilokan’ sentiment.
“It is most befuddling as well as disconcerting that a detribalised activist like Soyinka would succumb to the ‘groupthink syndrome’ that subscribes to state capture by those belonging to the criminal fringe by any means, based on primordial considerations.
“We really appreciate him for at least giving some credit to the Labour Party and its presidential candidate for breaking the monopoly of power hitherto held by the two other parties.”
SEE: Nigeria, UAE Yet To Reach Agreements On Visa Ban Lift – Aviation Minister, Keyamo
Everyone is entitled to their opinions
Continuing, the spokesman also expressed disappointment that Soyinka decided to choose a side rather than condemn some anomalies in the build-up to the last general elections and the abysmal performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission. He, however, concluded that every Nigerian is equally entitled to his opinion.
“The whole world followed the 2023 general election and there was a global condemnation on not only the outcome of the election but also the process, particularly, the ‘glitch’ that occurred only during the transmission of presidential results to IREV. We didn’t hear as much as a whisper from Kongi on reminding INEC to stand by its word.
“We will not allege selective amnesia as the reason for Soyinka’s wrong prognosis. However, we would have expected him to be a statesman, which we thought he was by remaining on the side of caution.
“We want to also let him know that building a new Nigeria is a dream whose time has come and Nigerian youths will not relent until such dream is realised,” he concluded.
Recommended posts:
They Are Forcing A Lie On Nigerians – Soyinka Accuses LP, Peter Obi
Be prepared: Labour Party chairman raises alarm over possible re-run of 2023 presidential election
Arrest Peter Obi, heaven will not fall: Lauretta Onochie urges DSS to take action against Peter Obi
Labour Party raises concerns over alleged negative tactics by ruling party
