Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate, has described the comments by Datti Baba-Ahmed, vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in a recent interview as containing “fascistic language”.

Soyinka spoke in a chat with Arise TV on Wednesday.

On March 22, Datti, in an interview with Channels TV, said the country has no president-elect despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announcing Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election.

The LP vice-presidential candidate said Tinubu would be leading an unconstitutional government if sworn into office because the APC candidate “has not met requirements of the law”

The interview has elicited criticism from political stakeholders as well as a N5 million fine for the TV station.

Adding his voice to the conversation, Soyinka described Datti’s remarks as a “kind of do-or-die attitude and provocation” that goes contrary to democratic disposition.

He said the LP vice-presidential candidate tried to “dictate to the supreme arbiter of the nation”, adding that it was unacceptable. “I have never heard anyone threaten the judiciary on television the way Datti did. I heard the kind of menacing, blackmailing language as that to which we were treated by Datti. That kind of do-or-die attitude and provocation is not what I think we have all been struggling for,” Soyinka said.

“Nearly the totality of Datti’s comment in the interview was unbecoming. It was like trying to dictate to the supreme arbiter of the nation, and whatever you think of the supreme court, it is an institution we all refer to sooner or later.

“But Datti kept saying, in his wisdom, that the supreme court must agree with me. That is what is known as fascistic language and it is not acceptable.”

‘FAKE NEWS ATTRIBUTED TO ME’

The Nobel laureate has been one of the most prominent victims of fake news in the country in recent years.

The latest was a viral social media post which claimed he endorsed Tinubu during the run-up to the presidential election.

Reacting to what he called “nauseating and praise-singing tracts”, Soyinka announced a $1000 reward for “anyone who can finger successfully the author of some of the tracts which have been attributed to me over the past six months”.

“Please beware of fake news. A lot of damage is being done by fake news. Even as recently as a few days ago. Some garbage, verbiage, nauseating and praise-singing tracts which we have seen so many times before have been resurrected and attributed to Wole Soyinka. It makes me sick. If people want to be praise singers let them do it in their own father’s name and leave Soyinka out of it,” he said.

I want to use this opportunity to announce a reward of $1000 to anyone who can finger successfully the author of some of the tracts which have been attributed to me over the past six months.”

Soyinka and Other yoruba Apc are now happy and celebrating that they have finally collected power from Fulani.

Dear Mr wole,

e b lyk u don the talk too much.....


Femmm!

This man has a roasted corn in his pocket. Make una check am well.

I kept saying since I watched the channels interview that Datti should be arrested. He threatened the CJN, he said he didn't believe in the courts, he said he has nothing to loose anymore, he said military take over will make no difference..... he abused the President of Nigeria....this man Datti is from Mauritiana o


And the most bizzare claim he made was that the presidential election was rigged.....Seun asked whether that includes the over 6 million votes of Labour Party to which Datti replied "NO...Labour Party votes are not rigged votes" so other candidates have rigged votes apart from Labour Party.

I think everything Datti was spewing out was treason.

dumb Obedients no see anything wrong in his utterances

Datti himself said he knew what he was saying was extreme and dangerous yet some people still urged him on.

Bastard and old fool soyinka, rest, idiot

You claim to be a US Citizen and you haven't seen Republicans and Democrats including their presidents threatening the US SCOTUS?

That must be a lie

This man is not your Igbo father mate.

If your igbo father like he should come to this same life trillion times his greatest achievement will not be fit to lace Wole Soyinka shoes.

Thanksful:
This man has a roasted corn in his pocket. Make una check am well.

Mace0lane:
This man is not your Igbo father mate.

If your igbo father like he should come to this same life trillion times his greatest achievement will not be fit to lace Wole Soyinka shoes.

Achievements?

Like calling the wife of a sitting president a Shepopotamus?

Do you know why I love karma?

It's a real bitch

LadyExcellency:
You claim to be a US Citizen and you haven't seen Republicans and Democrats including their presidents threatening the US SCOTUS[?

That must be a lie

Guy lie small small you hear?
Lie small small?

Achievement like winning the only noble prize with Aditchie n Achebe will labour in vain in the graves to accomplish

Gucciblog:


Achievements?

Like calling the wife of a sitting president a Shepopotamus?

Do you know why I love karma?

It's a real bitch

No matter how u want to make of this, this is not treason, otherwise trump would ve indicted by the US for treasonable felony for his speech that resulted in the capitol insurrection

Blissful45:
Hmmm... Though I agree that Datti actually went overboard with his utterances, I apologize on his behalf. Let there be peace and love amongst us, we are one Nigeria regardless of our political, ethnic or religious leanings.

I want to seek help from well-meaning nairalanders here. If u help me, you've helped a whole family. I'm the most depressed, sad and frustrated man at the moment. I'm a bricklayer, since dis year, I haven't gotten any job yet. My wife just put to bed last month, my wife's mum came to greet us even when I told my wife to dissuade her mum from coming due to monetary constraints. My Baby, my wife, my in-law and myself shamefully have nothing to eat. I cry privately seeing my baby hungry. What kind of life is this? Did I make a mistake of getting married ? Jehovah send a helper

You no get money but you dey give your wife belle 😜

RPG2020:


You no get money but you dey give your wife belle 😜

Baba, no be soo. No be fault bro. Help my baby pls. I'm already feeling like a failure

Datti is a candidate for International Criminal Court prosecution.

He is not only an anarchist that wants to usurp our democracy because he could not secure Northern Muslim votes for his ticket with Obi, he is a genocidist who said all Gays and Lesbians should be killed just for being what they are.

Straybullet:
Bastard and old fool soyinka, rest, idiot

ok You will later realise where you are putting Datti to. Na so many of you dey hail Kanu and his Biafrans till he end up his life in prison I know many of you have forggoting him there . I pray I don't have people like you as family and friend oooo . You have never remove someone from problem than to put them in more problems.

Heathrow44:
No matter how u want to make of this, this is not treason, otherwise trump would ve indicted by the US for treasonable felony for his speech that resulted in the capitol insurrection

But that is also being considered in the case of Donald Trump.

adekolaelect:
ok You will later realise where you are putting Datti to. Na so many of you dey hail Kanu and his Biafrans till he end up his life in prison I know many of you have forggoting him there . I pray I don't have people like you as family and friend oooo . You have never remove someone from problem than to put them in more problems.

If they praise you, you are already on the wrong path.

Throwback:


But that is also being considered in the case of Donald Trump.

Treasonable felony count charges i think was dropped, not sure though and am not ff US news, they're not my business

If you dontmlike it , go to court.

What happened in February election was brazen, barefaced robbery

IgOga:
I kept saying since I watched the channels interview that Datti should be arrested. He threatened the CJN, he said he didn't believe in the courts, he said he has nothing to loose anymore, he said military take over will make no difference..... he abused the President of Nigeria....this man Datti is from Mauritiana o


And the most bizzare claim he made was that the presidential election was rigged.....Seun asked whether that includes the over 6 million votes of Labour Party to which Datti replied "NO...Labour Party votes are not rigged votes" so other candidates have rigged votes apart from Labour Party.

I think everything Datti was spewing out was treason.

Datti is a complete useless politician who went from being a failed Senator whose certificate of return was withdrawn, to being a failed presidential aspirant in PDP, then an imminently failing gubernatorial aspirant in PDP, then a failed Vice Presidential candidate of Labour Party he never laboured for before being added to the ticket by the ticket hunter himself.

His only achievement while in the Senate on a stolen mandate, was to advocate for genocide of gays and lesbians.

ICC would easily look into his matter if the petition is submitted.

Heathrow44:



Treasonable felony count charges i think was dropped, not sure though and am not ff US news, they're not my business

He is yet to be indicted for that matter.

For now, it is the Stormy Daniels hush money, but the insurrection at the Capitol is on the plate and would be brought to the table soon.

Throwback:


He is yet to be indicted for that matter.

For now, it is the Stormy Daniels hush money, but the insurrection at the Capitol is on the plate and would be brought to the table soon.

for me, I think trump was warming up to Moscow and despised Beijing, that's his game, he wanted better working relationship with Russia than China, if trump did get re elected am sure he would have signed major trade deals with Moscow, and if he was incharge now, his approach to the Russian Ukraine crisis would be lukewarm, hmm, is trump really a patriot? dats d question Americans should ask themselves in 2024

There is a first time for everything

And someone needed to put those corrupt judges in place

Datti has succeeded in destroying whatever chance Obi had in the Tribunal, because the judges would not want to be seen as making a favourable judgement due to threat or psychological manipulations from the parties involved.

Heathrow44:
No matter how u want to make of this, this is not treason, otherwise trump would ve indicted by the US for treasonable felony for his speech that resulted in the capitol insurrection

State categorically how his speech incited an insurrection, quote the part of his speech, I don't mean your opinion I mean quotes, show everyone here to see the speech he made.

When you do put his speech and Datti speech in 2 separate paragraphs let every one here should read for themselves.

Don't even try it,
You will look stupid.

pryme:


State categorically how his speech incited an insurrection, quote the part of his speech, I don't mean your opinion I mean quotes, show everyone here to see the speech he made.

When you do put his speech and Datti speech in 2 separate paragraphs let every one here should read for themselves.

Don't even try it,
You will look stupid.

I've not really watched d Datti's interview actually, maybe when I see it, I can tell u if it constitutes treason, but d thing I know about treason is selling states information to a foreign government that would pose threats to national security or even possible collapse of the country, and participating in upturning a legal government

Heathrow44:


I've not really watched d Datti's interview actually, maybe when I see it, I can tell u if it constitutes treason, but d thing I know about treason is selling states information to a foreign government that would pose threats to national security or even possible collapse of the country, and participating in upturning a legal government

Good Lord!!
Listen, always watch the EVENT for yourself, 90% of what you see or hearon Mainstream media IS a lie, if you can't find quotes, videos of the said thing happening DONT BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ OR HEAR FROM PEOPLE WITH OPINIONS. I have the full Transcript of Trump's Statements on the rally before the March to the Capitol.
Find it. Read it make your own decision.
I hated Trump because everyone said he was bad, when I started looking for The Bad things he did, I could not find any that SHOWED HIM DOING IT.
Always do your OWN findings, trust only your own judgement after the facts.