Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate at the general elections last year Datti Baba-Ahmed has replied Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka who said former presidential candidate Peter Obi was unfit to govern Nigeria.
Soyinka made the remark in a recent interview with Noble Nigeria.
He said that Obi’s failure to reign on his supporters known as Obidients attacking others with opposing views online was a pointer that he is unfit to lead a country like Nigeria.
“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. I know for a fact, and I can give you an instance that proves that he was in control of those forces.
“But it is for me a sad phenomenon, especially for those who want to lead a multi-texture society, different religions, different ethnic groups, different world views and who actually want to preside over sub-groups as one, it means they have already declared themselves incompetent to lead such entity and that’s it,” Soyinka said.
Responding to this, Baba-Ahmed said during an appearance on Arise TV on Friday that Soyinka should conduct himself with honour.
“It is not the work of Peter Obi to control the Obidients. It is the responsibility of Wole Soyinka to maintain his respect and dignity,” he said.
“I could say a few things about Wole Soyinka that will destroy him for good but I won’t say that. Only three days ago, the whole world saw his own principal, the president of Nigeria, almost kneeling to greet an elder statesmen when people like Soyinka are out there insulting others.
“In the presence of all the politics, dynamics and everything, decent Nigerians should continue to offer respect to others.
“Why should a Nobel laureate insult people? Because he can speak 1960s and 1970s English? All he is trying to do is distraction, Peter Obi and I have excused ourselves. We will not react to that Nobel laureate. He should go and see how other Nobel laureates are respecting themselves and holding their honour all over the world.”
