Kingsley Moghalu cautions Peter Obi's supporters over their personal attacks on Soyinka

FORMER African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Professor Kingsley Moghalu has cautioned supporters of Labour Party flag-bearer Peter Obi against criticising Professor Wole Soyinka over his recent remarks on Nigeria's 2023 elections.

On Saturday February 25, Nigerians went to the polls to elect a new president and the Independent National Election Commission (Inec) subsequently declared Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner. Among the other main gladiators in the contest were Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Peter Obi of the Labour Party and former Kano State governor Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).

Inec chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as the returning officer for the presidential election, declared Asiwaju Tinubu the victor of the contest with 8,794,726 votes, defeating Alhaji Abubakar of the PDP, who came second with 6,984,520 votes and Governor Obi who came third with 6,101,533 votes. However, the PDP and Labour Party have refused to accept the results.

Several leading opposition figures led by Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party's vice presidential candidate, who felt the elections were not free and fair, have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to annul them. Many opposition politicians have also demanded that an interim national government be instituted on May 29 rather than have Asiwaju Tinubu sworn-in as president.

Wading into the debate, Professor Soyinka likened Governor Obi’s supporters popularly called Obidients to fascism. His comments have attracted fierce responses from Governor Obi's supporters on social media.

Reacting to the criticism, Professor Moghalu described the Nobel laureate as a principled fighter for justice not only in Nigeria but around the world. He also recalled how Professor Soyinka in the build-up to the 2019 elections endorsed him describing the moment as a great honour in his life.

Professor Moghalu said: "Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka is a principled fighter for justice in our country and around the world. He is a phenomenon that unlettered and uncultured people may not fully understand in an age of lazy social media in which many don’t read or think deep.

"His endorsement of my 2019 presidential candidacy in my short-lived but impactful foray into Nigerian electoral politics remains one of the greatest honours of my life. I view very dimly any criticism of him simply because he’s objective, he survived dictators and he will survive you."