A former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu, has backed Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka’s criticism of Datti Baba-Ahmed, running mate of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
“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,” Moghalu tweeted on Thursday.
“His endorsement of my 2019 presidential candidacy in my short-lived but impactful foray into Nigerian electoral politics remains one of the greatest honors of my life.
“I view very dimly any criticism of him simply because he’s OBJECTIVE. He survived dictators. He will survive you.”
Soyinka said during an interview that the comments of Labour Party vice presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed about the judiciary using “fascist language” were unacceptable.
The Guardian reported that Baba-Ahmed said the country has no president-elect despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announcing Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election.
Baba-Ahmed stated that Tinubu would be leading an unconstitutional government if sworn into office because the APC candidate has not met the requirements of the law.
“Whoever swears in Mr Tinubu has ended democracy in Nigeria. Mr. President, do not hold that inauguration. CJN, your lordship, do not partake in unconstitutionality,” Baba-Ahmed said in a Channels TV programme.
“I am taking this risks for the sake of my country. Yes, it is extreme and I am saying it. It was more extreme for Yakubu (INEC Chair) to issue that certificate (of return). You cannot swear in people who have not met constitutional requirements. If you do that, you have done something unlawful, something unconstitutional.
“And I am repeating it, whoever does not meet the constitutional requirement must not, must never be sworn in. You said my name. If you like I can say it again. I am Datti Baba-Ahmed.” Baba-Ahmed said.
However, the interview received several criticisms from a number of organisations and an N5 million fine from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Soyinka, reacting to the LP vice-presidential candidate statement, said Datti’s statement in its totality was unbecoming, unacceptable, and dictating to the Supreme Court.
“I have never heard anyone threaten the judiciary on television the way Datti did. I heard the kind of menacing, blackmailing language that we were treated to 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 fascist language, and it is not acceptable.”
