"A Father I Hold in Very High Esteem": Peter Obi Visits Professor Wole Soyinka, Details, Photos Emerge
- Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), visited Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka on Sunday, May 7
- Obi described Soyinka as a father figure and a fighter for justice and equity, reminding him of the huge price he paid fighting for the cause of the Igbos before the outbreak of the civil war
- The visit aimed to address misconceptions about the relationship between Soyinka and Obidients, supporters of Obi who had previously attacked the elder statesman online
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Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 elections, paid a visit to Nigeria's Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Sunday, May 7.
The former governor of Anambra state made this known in a statement posted on his verified Twitter page on Sunday.
Source: Twitter
He described Soyinka as a father whom he has a huge respect for.
"Today, I visited one of Nigeria’s most revered figures and an international literary icon, Prof Wole Soyinka. Prof Soyinka has been a father whom I hold in very high esteem for what he has achieved and stands for in the struggle for a better Nigeria," Obi tweeted.
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I reminded Soyinka how he fought for the cause of Igbos - Peter Obi
Obi also described Prof Soyinka as a fighter for justice and equity whom he can never ignore.
The Labour Party presidential candidate said he reminded the Nobel laureate of the enormous price he paid fighting for the cause of the Igbos before the outbreak of the civil war.
His words:
"His (Soyinka's) reputation as a fighter for justice and equity in our society has been legendary and we will NEVER ignore them. I had a very useful and enriching discussion about his aspirations for a better and greater Nigeria, and he shared a lot with me about his dream for a greater and more inclusive Nigeria.
"I reminded the Nobel laureate of the huge price he paid just before the outbreak of the civil war, fighting for the cause of the Igbos."
How Obidients attacked Wole Soyinka
Recently, Soyinka was attacked online by Obidients, supporters of Obi, after the Nobel laureate described the Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed’s comment on the general elections as fascist.
Recall Soyinka slammed the LP’s VP canidate's call to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief Justice not to swear in Bola Tinubu, the president-elect.
Baba-Ahmed had insisted that declaring Tinubu a winner and issuing him a certificate of return was against the constitution.
Soyinka, in his reaction, described such a statement as unacceptable because it alienates the people and it is a ‘fascistic language.’
His comment drew the anger of Obi's supporters who abused the elder statesman.
Obi said his meeting with Soyinka was to address the "needless misconceptions".
"I cherished this Sunday's visit which was intended to erase the needless misconceptions about the relationship between the great icon and the OBIdient family," the Labour Party presidential candidate said.
Soyinka advises Peter Obi, Tinubu, Atiku on what to do about their spokespersons
In another report, Soyinka called on all the leading presidential candidates in the 2023 elections to send their spokespersons on vacation.
The Nigerian renowned writer made his position known during an interview on a Channels Television programme on Monday, April 3.
On the programme, Soyinka said that the presidential spokespersons need a vacation after being through the recent narratives hitting deep into the polity.
Source: Legit.ng
