Shehu Sani, Charly Boy disagree with Soyinka over comments against “Obidients”
Former Kauna Central District senator, Shehu Sani, and a former President of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, Chukuwudi Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, have added their voices to the controversies over the positions of two of Nigeria’s literature icons on contemporary natiinal political issues.
Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, had criticised the conduct of the supporters of the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, while Chimamanda Adichie had urged US President Joe Biden not to congratulate President-elect Bola Tinubu.
Mr Obi’s supporters, known as the Obidients, have been up in arms against the literarature icon over his comments.
In an interview with Channels Television, Mr Soyinka said he told Mr Obi that if he lost the election, it would be his followers who lost it for him.
Since Mr Soyinka’s comments, the Obidients have disparaged him on social media.
Mr Soyinka doubled down in a statement titled, ‘”Fascism on course.”
In a related development on Thursday, another Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, in her open letter to the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, alleged that the 2023 presidential election was marred by violence, ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, and other malpractices.
The letter attracted to Ms Adichie criticism from supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In his reaction, Mr Sani in a twitter post on Friday said the criticisms have made Messrs Soyinka and Chimamanda to be in the ring of Nigeria’s political battle.
“The opposition supporters are going after Prof Wole Soyinka & the ruling party supporters are going after Chimamanda Adichie;The great literary giants are now in the ring of Nigeria’s political battle.This is a positive development other African countries are not privileged to have.”
He also said, “In 2011, any northerner opposed to the ambition of Buhari was considered an infidel. After the elections, mobs resorted to violence and invaded the homes of members of the PDP and killed their family members & burned down their houses.If those were not fascists, Peter’s guys are not.” Premium Times
