Obidients: Soyinka Challenges Datti Baba-Ahmed To A Live TV Debate

Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka has challenged the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed to a debate over his stand on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

Soyinka who has openly disagreed with the position of Baba-Ahmed also questioned the attitude of the Labour Party supporters popularly referred to as obidients.

The Professor criticised obidients, submitting that even before the election he had warned Peter Obi that his followers may cost him the polls which eventually happened.

He also said recent comments by Baba-Ahmed on the outcome of the election were unbecoming.

Soyinka however disagreed with the fine slammed on Channels TV by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for some of his statements during an interview with the station, saying the anchor tried his best to be objective during the interview.

He then went ahead to challenge the Labour Party vice presidential candidate to a one-on-one debate on the matter.

Soyinka made this known in a statement titled, ‘Fascism on course’.

He wrote in the statement: “May I seize this opportunity, by the way, to condemn the sanctions imposed on Channels Television, which anchored the performance of the LP candidate. As stated, I watched the programme keenly – 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 the Internet into a soakaway for their rancid emissions, yet feel that others should be silenced. If Channels feels up to it, I offer myself willing to engage Mr Datti – or any nominee of his – on its platform on this very bone of contention – one-on-one – without the malodorous intervention of media trolls, and with the same interviewer as mediator. That should be taken as a serious offer.”