By Akinwale Kasali
Group, under the auspices of Think Yoruba First, TYF, has condemned the attacks on Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, by supporters of the Labour Party, Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, popularly known as ‘Obidients’.
The Group alleged that the series of attacks on Soyinka were deliberately targeted at Yoruba heritage.
On Sunday, the Group in a Press Statement said that the driving force behind the Obidients Movement is nothing but irredentist Igbo Fundamentalism fueled by hate, lack of culture, avarice and incredible disregard for democratic culture.
TYF General Secretary, Bukola Adeniji, in a Statement signed by him said that the Ogun State born literary Icon is one of the few men of honor when it comes to defending democracy and basic human rights in Nigeria and across the world.
It condemned alleged attempts by Obi supporters to promote Igbo supremacy theory motivated by false history, arrogance and a savage passion for ceaseless acts of aggression.
The organization which is constituted by Yoruba professionals at home and in the Diaspora said that the Yoruba people are being pushed beyond the elasticity limit and will henceforth adopt the philosophy of proportional response to deal with Igbo bullying and ethnic profiling their folk hero, Peter Obi, having been defeated at the February 25th Presidential poll.
“The attacks on Soyinka shows a high level of immorality and the uncultured past time of a group of neoliberal fascists who detest basic tenets of democracy and human liberty,” the group said.
It added that Soyinka is among the few men of honor left in Nigeria who is not afraid to speak truth to power.
“In his usual frank method, Prof. Soyinka spoke the truth about the anti-democratic actions of the members of the Obidents movement who have largely morphed themselves into Neoliberal Fascist movement.”
It also argued that Nigeria’s fragile democracy was largely built on the sacrifice of Yorùbá activists who fought with courage against colonialism beginning from the 19th century, confronted military rule and feudalism all of which tend to stunt Nigeria’s rise to global fame.
Citing the contributions of Late Bishop Ajayi Crowther who translated the Holy Bible from English into Igbo and the free education and free health of Chief Obafemi Awolowo which forced many Igbo to flee their villages in search of greener pasture in Lagos as some of the goodwill extended to Igbo but which the later would never appreciate.
“Through music, art and literature, the Yoruba have been known for a culture of resistance against evil. In the past 200 years, our forebears have fought all forms of repression at a very high cost including death”
The Think Yoruba First said those attacking Soyinka lack a sense of history and are driven by bade instint instead of logic and common sense.
It, also, cited the courageous (Akínkanjú) spirit of Yoruba in the bitter struggle against the annulment of 1993 June 12 election when Chief MKO Abiola’s mandate was stolen by the rogue military government of Nigeria.
“Soyinka was among the Yoruba led NADECO movement who narrowly escaped the evil of Sanni Abacha’s military plot to capture him by riding a motorcycle across neighboring international border via the NADECO route.
“In his absentia, Sanni Abacha proclaimed a death sentence on him, the efforts of the likes of Prof Soyinka and other notable members of NADECO movement was what led to the restoration of the democracy that Nigeria enjoyed today, Peter Obi was not part of that movement.”
It also noted that without the bravery of Soyinka and his fellow group of nationalists, who were largely of Yoruba extraction, there would not have been democracy which Obidients movement can plug into.
“The enormous insults, bullying, intimidation, and defacement of the revered hardcore Yorùbá intellectual and world
icon by the Obidients movement are the classic examples of the tyranny and intolerance which Prof. Soyinka has fought against all his life.
Speaking further, it said “Think Yoruba First, is a Yorùbá conservative group, strongly condemns the primitive and neoliberal fascistic actions of the Obidients movement.
“Soyinka is just one out of many Yorùbá icons that the Obidients movement has attacked in their savagely, overzealous campaign for their desired presidential candidate Peter Obi, who was decisively defeated in the last Nigeria presidential election.
“The neofascist Obidients movement attacked the integrity of the Father of post military democracy in Nigeria, Chief MKO Abiola, this is another great Yorùbá icon that was the target of Obidense campaign of calumny.”
It also condemned supporters of Obi for insulting many notable Yorùbá icons including the Ooni of Ife, and Great Fela Kuti, after this, they proceeded to tear into the fabric of Yorùbá Unity by seeking to rubbish the Yorùbá identity.”
It described one David Hundeyin, a known Obidient, as a rash and riotous mind, a bully who appear to work for reactionary political interests and has misused his social media handle to spread false narratives about history, Yorùbá origin and pronounced that Yorùbá unified identity does not exist and that Yorùbá language is useless.”
It said “He was echoed by other prominent Obidients including one unseeded Barr Omirhobo and Kingsley Moghalu who then started a segregation campaign against the Yorùbá identity by sending many tweets in which Yorùbá were divided into those from interiors and those from Lagos.
“Barr Omirhobo even used the term “Ara Oke” to describe other Yorùbá who he sees as different from the Yorùbá in Lagos. Moghalu in his own twisted account suggested Yorùbá from Ogun State are somehow superior to other Yorùbá, as conservatives, we are not fooled by his ill intention, Moghalu veiled attempt at setting up the Yorùbá against each other is grotesque and condemned as an act of divide and conquer strategy of Obidents.
“Many Obidients social media influencers were empowered to target the Yoruba identity including attacks on Yoruba women in which Yoruba mothers were described as dirty and undesirable to Yoruba men who are allegedly choosing to marry non Yorùbá Women over them, all these actions of prominent Obidients and social media troll Obidients are direct attacks on the essence of Yorùbá beyond the scope of politics.
“Yorùbá conservatives have a duty to defend and protect Yorùbá heritage, attempt by political thugs and bullies masquerading as agents of change to destroy our essence as Yorùbá will not be tolerated.”
“Chief MKO Abiola paid the ultimate price in securing return of democracy to Nigeria, albeit in its infancy, activities of Obidients including their protests to request military intervention and their quest to seek election annulment because their candidate loss is anti-democratic.”
The group said further “The Democratic process is guided by the Judiciary, and the electoral system is the crown jewel of democracy. A movement that doesn’t trust the electoral process and did not believe in the judiciary system is calling for anarchy. Obidense movement is an anarchist neoliberal fascist movement that wanted to enthrone itself by attacking and destroying Yorùbá great leaders and Yorùbá unity, and their action need to be condemned and rejected by all well-meaning Nigerians.
“The Judiciary system exists for a purpose, Obidense should seek redress in court of law rather than discrediting the judiciary process.
“Attack on the judiciary is undermining the very guard rail of democracy and this constitutes call for insurrection, it is a self-entitled, grandiose and authoritarian move.”
The group called on the newly elected government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use the events of the 2023 election as an example of the true nature of the country call Nigeria, and address one of the country’s biggest problems which has been an impediments to progress, the government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu need to give the Nigeria people an ethnically conscious constitution with means for the different regions of the country to defend itself.
“Like Prof Wole Soyinka, we do not know if we still believe in the Nigeria project, but we cannot stay quiet in the face of Tyranny that is the Obidense movement.”
