Wole Soyinka: LP Leaders Knew Peter Obi Lost 2023 Election but Pushed False Narrative

Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate, has alleged that the leadership of the Labour Party (LP) was aware that their presidential candidate, Peter Obi, lost the February 25 election.

Soyinka accused the opposition party’s leadership of attempting to deceive Nigerians, especially the youth, by claiming that Obi had won the election.

He made these remarks during an event titled “The Lives of Wole Soyinka — A Dialogue” held in Stellenbosch, South Africa, on Wednesday.

During the event, Soyinka emphasized the importance of truth, stating that he has always relied on facts, just as he did when he took over a radio station in Ibadan in 1965 to convey election results.

He criticized the LP for taking control of the labor movement in the lead-up to the 2023 election and suggested that while Peter Obi made a significant impact by breaking the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he did not win the election.

Soyinka accused the LP leadership of attempting to mobilize young people to protest against the election results using false information.

He expressed his willingness to join such demonstrations but only if they were based on truth and not deceit.

Soyinka also raised concerns about the LP’s vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, who made controversial statements about the presidential election outcome.

In summary, Soyinka criticized the LP leadership for promoting false information and attempting to manipulate public opinion, while stressing the importance of truth and accuracy in political discourse.