Charles Oputa, aka Charly Boy, a veteran singer and social activist, has criticized Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka for his comments criticizing supporters of Peter Obi’s presidential campaign after making a statement condemning Labour Party vice presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed.
Prof. Soyinka called Baba-statement Ahmed’s in an interview that swearing in a candidate who has been declared the winner without meeting constitutional requirements “fascistic.”
However, he received harsh criticism for using the word “fascism” from Obi’s supporters, known as Obidients, and the prize-winning author retorted by arguing that their unwillingness to accept criticism confirms his prior viewpoint.
“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,” he said in part.
In response to his statement, Charly Boy stated that he used to admire Soyinka almost as much as his late father, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
All of it, he claimed, is now lost because the revered poet has devolved into little more than a stooge for corrupt politicians.
He wrote;
“The kin respect I had for dis man, was almost the kind of respect I had for my stainless father, The Socrates of the Supreme Court.
It has finally dawned on me that Soyinka can never be the man Chinua Achebe was. Look at a man many Nigerians put on such high pedestal reducing himself to a boyiboyi for criminal politicians.
See post below:
“Wole Soyinka will never be the man Chinua Achebe was” – Charly Boy
See reactions below:
adedoyin.adesanya: Can we stop this sentiment and address issues. He said he’s a supporter of Obi and his movement. I believe one of the ways to support is to guide and correct when the ball is being dropped. Datti’s utterances were too extreme, the case is in court already why not allow the court to do their job of interpreting the law. Let’s not be blind to the truth even when we are supporting. Even Obi would not speak the way Datti spoke.
dralbanofficial: Yes o . Soyinka lost it . Disappointed. Election the whole world said it was rigged . Not free not fair and not credible. The most annoying part is that this man remained mute before election , during election and never said anything . Then to come after the election when many people were killed . How could APC win election when Nigerians were buying NAIRA with NAIRA .????
Soyinka you have lost it . Sorry
iammcpashun: 🦋Chinua Achebe wey reject Million Dollars from 50 Cent to use things fall apart name as a Movie Title, there are levels to being a Legendary Scholar. Baba is now tilting to political side hustle for old age Affluence, them go still send strippers go him house . He was very expensive till they paid his price!!! No Worry, Some People are Priceless.
shi9na: This is the headline of Daily Times on Thursday, October 9, 1969. Wole Soyinka was just released after 22 months of imprisonment for advocating for Biafrans. 54 years later, the children of those he fought for are insulting him with the vilest insults. How sad!
Reason why Igbo will always be Igbo too quick to forget
lawjack247: The man is for sale I have known this since 2015 , he has lost his way
stkingso: We tire oo for Prof. Professor just dey fall our hands. Him don even forget d history himself created in 1965 with a pistol.
chizzy_anny: Soyinka has psychosis! Agadi na gwoo ofe
nagudiae: He is part of the generation that has put Nigeria where we are now .
iam_amyzon: No be every man with white hair get noble sense
iykchambers: The strategy was to confuse us with grammar hence they drafted “him” into the arena.
This was an iconoclast whom we perceived as a moral compass of our great nation. Who speaks against bad government, attacks criminals in government, and even deposits himself in trenches to fight against everything wrong in our polity
Goodluck Jonathan and his wife will never forget him in a hurry. He went to the filthy side of English grammar to pick some unbelievable adjectives to describe the couple
He described PDP as a nest of killers
He stopped short of calling Buhari an illiterate
APC were bunch of nitwits
IBB got the worst of his caustic tongue as he described him in some ecliptic language
We hailed him because he spoke the mind of the time
Fast forward to 2023 Presidential Election
A certain character with a moral baggage and no trace of his history showed up to lead us
Nobody can account where this character did his primary and secondary school
No old boys school pals
His involvement with drug allegations are facts littered on the streets
His source of Wealth is another story for another day
This character lacked the moral authority both in fact and indeed to mount the highest seat in the Land
We expected Kongi, the conscience of the people, the moral compass of the largest nation on earth, to speak
But he went underground
The Man dies who kept silent in a moment of darkness
What manner of man is this?
Now they have circled this character with ironclad legal issues at Presidential Electoral Tribunal and instead of joining issues and answer those questions seriatim, they decided to bring in this our compass to confuse us with grammar
They should go to that Electoral Tribunal and answer those legal questions
Those grammars will be in better use there
georgina_chigozie_onuoha2: My exact sentiment. I loved Wole . To me he had no blemish. It’s been gut wrenching seeing his utterances. What went wrong with him? He has been an baiter for peace and reasoning. Lord give me the grace to forgive him and still see the greatness in him. I brag about him differently as a man who stood above everything corrupt about nigeria. I am truly disappointed.
layimogaji: Say whatever you like, Prof’s name and achievements is bigger than what you, your father and your entire family can ever dream of. You think you’re relevant, right ? You’re not and you’ll never be. Dragging the Prof online is the biggest mistake you’d ever make.
