2023 Polls: "I Admire Wole Soyinka But Disagree With Him About Obidients": Chimamanda Adichie Breathes Fire
- Chimamanda Adichie has expressed her displeasure in the use of the word fascists to describe the activities of Obidients during the 2023 elections
- Obidients, Peter Obi's supporters, were described as fascists by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka in a recent interview
- According to Adichie, she does not see any reason why anyone would term Obidients or the Labour Party's vice-presidential candidate fascists
Renowned writer Chimamanda Adichie has condemned the use of the word 'fascist' by Professor Wole Soyinka to describe the activities of supporters of Peter Obi throughout the electioneering period.
Reacting to an interview granted by Soyinka, who described Obi's supporters - Obidients - as fascists, Adichie said the word used by the professor was strong, especially for people genuinely seeking for things to be done constitutionally.
Source: UGC
A fascist refers to a set of people or someone who supports or promotes fascism, a system of government led by a dictator who typically rules by forcefully and often violently suppressing opposition and criticism, controlling all industry and commerce, and promoting nationalism and often racism.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television monitored by Legit.ng, Adichie said she respects and admires Soyinka but disagrees with him on his description of Peter Obi's supporters or the demands made of the Labour Party's vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
She said:
"I have a lot of love for Professor Soyinka, I admire him, and I respect him as a thinker and as a writer. I think everyone should read "The Man Died" and Akin his Memoire is beautiful but at the same time, I disagree about this particular issue and actually because I respect Professor Soyinka so much, I went back and watched the interview.
"I had watched it when it aired and I went back and watched it again because I thought, am I missing something? And I think fascist is a really strong word that makes me think of Mussolini's Italy and I think we use it now sort of to address those kinds of authoritarianism and often populist, right-wing like in Hungary. And even the former American president (Donald Trump)."
Adichie said that looking at some of the above-mentioned leaders and situations, one would come to terms with why they have been termed fascists, unlike what the Obidients truly are.
Adichie continued:
"And I did not see any reason that Mr Datti Baba-Ahmed's interview would have been termed fascist. I think he was making a very strongly felt point about the election.
"What I think he was saying is that if our democracy is rooted in our constitution and you then swear in a person who is elected unconstitutionally, then you're in fact ending democracy. I think it's quite a reasonable position."
APC chieftain leaks top secret, tells INEC what to do about Chimamanda's letter to US President Biden
In a recent development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman has been urged to ensure he presses charges against Chimamanda Adichie over allegations of crime during the 2023 poll.
The call was made to INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state.
Johan Mayaki urged Yakubu to prevail on the court to mandate Adichie to provide evidence of her claim against the INEC chairman through legal means.
Keyamo blasts Chimamanda over letter to Biden
Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Festus Keyamo, criticised the letter Chimamanda.
Adichie wrote to President Joe Biden of the United States. In her letter, she highlighted the ills of the 2023 presidential polls while accusing the US of low standards for congratulating Bola Tinubu.
Keyamo described Adichie's write-up as an exhibition of a pathetic colonial mentality.
Source: Legit.ng
