• Condemns sanctions on Channels TV
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka has insisted that the attempts by the Vice- Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Yusuf Datti Baba- Ahmed to intimidate the judiciary in his interview on Channels TV was inappropriate.
Soyinka in an article entitled ‘ Fascism on Course’ in an apparent reaction to the deluge of criticisms from supporters of the LP Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, called ‘Obidients’ following his interview with Channels TV and Arise TV, declared that the “seeds of incipient fascism in the political arena have evidently matured”,
According to him, it is a ground norm that as a party to a case, there is no room for intimidation of the judiciary.
“A climate of fear is being generated. The refusal to entertain corrective criticism, even differing perspectives of the same position has become a badge of honour and certificate of commitment. What is at stake, ultimately is – Truth, and at a most elementary level of social regulation: when you are party to a conflict, you do not attempt to intimidate the arbiter, attempt to dictate the outcome, or impugn, without credible cause, his or her neutrality even before hearing has commenced. That is a ground rule of just proceeding. Short of this, Truth remains permanently elusive.”
Soyinka also decried attempt to malign the Chief Justice of the Federation, stressing that it is another form of intimidation.
“Far more alarming was the grotesque fantasy of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court disguised as a wheelchair, zooming off in space to a secret meeting with other parties of the conflict. On its own, that is sufficiently scary. Swiftly followed thereafter by a television tirade of intimidation, it strikes one as more than the mere antics by the mentally deranged. The tactics are familiar: ridicule, incriminate, then intimidate. Objective: undermine the structure of justice.”
While pointing out the violence and ethnic profiling witnessed in the elections, he noted that what is required of the current democratic journey was deep reflection.
Reacting to what some described as his ‘silence’ during the electoral cycle, Soyinka said he does not need permission for his method of intervention in the polity.
“Oh yes, could these rabid parochial minds of easy excitation also kindly stop flattering themselves that one’s energies are consecrated solely to the nation space known as Nigeria? The whines of “silence” are relative to the reading scope and world knowledge of idle complainants as well as their grasp of the chain of continuity. I choose my methods of intervention without the permission of social media border patrols, so where you find a gap, just pick up the baton where last deposited and stop whining and belly-aching – “he stopped talking all this while, why now?”etcetcad nauseum .
“Flat, easy disposable lies that gain traction by repetition. However, even more importantly, they remain irrelevant to the rights and wrongs of ongoing material issue. Sadly, these virtue vigilantes succeed with the ignorant and susceptible – especially among the younger, confused generation.” He also faulted attempts to equate the current democratic challenges with the anti- Abacha struggle. Soyinka condemned the sanctions slammed on Channels TV over the Datti Baba-Ahmed’s interview, stating that he watched the programme keenly and 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 soak-away for their rancid emissions, yet feel that others should be silenced,”
On Project Nigeria, Soyinka confessed it has “become near terminally soul-searing” stressing “we must rid ourselves of the tyranny of the ignorant and the opportunism of time-servers.”
He did not however ruled out the possibility of a revolution, adding that it must be with “a clarity of purpose and acceptance of all attendant risks, including costly errors. “