Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has said he has no problem with the alleged leaked conversation between the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the February 25 poll Peter Obi and Bishiop David Oyedepo.
In a statement on Friday, the 88-year-old said that the context, content and lies, where established, are what matter.
He said, “By contrast, I have no quarrel with ‘Yes Daddy’. Roman Catholics are used to saying ‘Yes, Father’. Secularists say ‘Enh, Baba’. The context and content are what matters, and lies – where established – raise bothersome issues such as Integrity Deficiency.”
Obi has since said the alleged leaked conversation where he severally said ‘Yes daddy’ while speaking with Oyedepo was doctored by the APC.
Soyinka also condemned the N5 million fine placed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Channels TV over the interview where LP’s vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, made controversial remarks about the Supreme Court.
He said, “May I seize this opportunity, by the way, to condemn the sanctions imposed on CHANNELS Television which anchored the performance of the LP candidate. As stated, I watched the programme keenly – saw the valiant efforts of the interviewer to ensure fair hearing. I fail to understand just where the station could be faulted, except from a disposition for injustice.
“To sustain that penalty is to give joy to others who turn Internet into a soakaway for their rancid emissions, yet feel that others should be silenced. If CHANNELS feels up to it, I offer myself willing to engage Mr. Datti – or any nominee of his – on its platform on this very bone of contention – one-on-one – without the malodorous intervention of media trolls, and with the same interviewer as mediator. That should be taken as a serious offer.”
