“Illegal Power-Grabbers Want To Scuttle Nigeria’s Democracy” – Soyinka

In an interview with SaharaTV, a United States-based online broadcast station operated by SaharaReporters, Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has raised the alarm that “illegal, sinister and power-grabbers” are bent on scuttling the country’s current democratic process. The power-grabbers, according to him, are the ones pushing for the imposition of interim government on the country.

The 80-year old playwright, on Wednesday told a German radio station, Deutsche Welle, that in spite of the security challenges in the country, what bothered him most, was the plot by some people to take over the rein of the country illegally.

“This is what bothers me deeply: There are people who see this as an opportunity for their own political and sinister activities in the country. Therefore, we are not even united against the dangerous enemy of the country. The elections themselves are being used as an opportunity of sowing bitter seed of discord and for power-grabbing. 

“It is now an established fact that there had been moves towards scuttling the democratic process by instituting a so-called interim government. But the proof is there of some participants in meetings for the formation of an interim government. Why form an interim government when there is an electoral process?

The Nobel laureate stated that he spoke personally with the President to ascertain his involvement in the plot to foist an interim government on Nigerians.

“I went to President Jonathan and I asked him, and he was to all appearances outraged by the very suggestion. I remember he used an expression, ‘If such a thing is going on it is outside my wish or my will. After I have been elected by the entire nation, isn't being the head of an interim government a demotion and an undignifying position?”   

“Maybe there are forces in operation in this nation during this very critical period about which he knows of that is the answer which I could make and it is up to him to sort himself out in contending with these illegal forces,” the literary icon said.

Soyinka therefore called on Nigerians not to be complacent about the current political situation in the country.

“I believe that these elections, going by his (Jonathan) body language, it is very difficult to penetrate truthfully and deeply into the minds of politicians..going by his body language, I think Jonathan has no intention of scuttling the elections. 

“In other words, the elections would take place but what kind of elections would we have? And what might be the aftermath of the elections? He has repeatedly said, ‘I’m going back to Otuoke if I lose the election.’ I just hope we don’t wake up one day with our complacent attitude and find out that we, as a people, have been overthrown by very sinister, illegal and useless forces.”

Source: Punch