Professor Wole Soyinka, a Nobel laureate, alleged yesterday that the Labour Party’s (LP) leadership was aware that Peter Obi, its presidential candidate, had lost the poll on February 25.
Soyinka accused the leadership of LP of trying to force “a lie” on Nigerians, especially youths, that Obi won the election.
At an event themed “The Lives of Wole Soyinka — A Dialogue” put on by Africa in the World, the Nobel laureate spoke.
In South Africa’s Stellenbosch, the tournament was held.
Soyinka was asked to respond to his post-general election remark on LP vice presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed as he was speaking at the event.
Soyinka stated that he cares about the truth, observing that many people are constantly seeking out short cuts.
In his own words: “This most recent election saw the first of two things happen. The labor movement, which is not my favorite movement, was taken over by one party, which later evolved into a regional party.
“Whereas it was a marvellous breach into the established two camps. Peter Obi achieved something remarkable there, that he broke that mould. However, he did not win the election.
“I can say categorically that Peter Obi’s party came third not even second and the leadership knew it but they want to do what we call in Yoruba ‘gbajue’, that is force of lies.” He said.
Soyinka asserted that the LP leadership attempted to organize youth to demonstrate against the election results under the “banner of lies and deceit,” and that they intended to send some of the group’s hardliners and confident young into the streets to do so.
“I’m also ready to be among such demonstrators but only on the banner of truth not on lies, and deceit.
“This party (LP) wanted the same thing (referring to 2011 post-election violence) to happen on the basis of a lie and we find this vice-presidential candidate on television boasting, insisting, threatening and trying to intimidate both the judiciary and the rest.
“What kind of government will result from that kind of conduct? In addition, they did not know this but they were being used.
“Before the election, there were certain clandestine forces, including some former generals, who were already calling for an interim government before the elections began.”
