Jonathan Was Becoming Authoritarian – Prof. Wole Soyinka

Prof. Wole Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has said former President Goodluck Jonathan was becoming authoritarian before he was voted out of power.

Soyinka added that the pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, admitted to him in the United Kingdom that he (Ribadu) realised late that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was using him for his own purpose as the EFCC boss.

Soyinka, in an interview with the current edition of Zero Tolerance magazine, a publication of the EFCC, stated that Jonathan surrounded himself with ‘unsavoury characters.’

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The playwright said he withdrew his support for Jonathan because he was drifting towards “fascism.”

He stated that it was important for any President or public officer to pick his advisers carefully because of the kinds of characters, who shielded the former President from certain happenings around hm.

Soyinka explained that he marched alongside others in order to ensure that Jonathan was sworn-in as the acting President in 2010, noting that the action was meant to protect the constitution and not about Jonathan.

He said, “We marched in order to protect the constitution, not the person of Jonathan. We retained a cordial relationship during his tenure; however, despite some attacks I felt compelled to launch on him – and his wife. Jonathan committed some truly alarming errors of governance. He was propelling himself towards outright fascism.”

Asked by the interviewers if Jonathan was caged, he answered, “Correct. There were forces around Jonathan, you put your fingers around it, which he himself does not understand and that is why I stressed that you’ve got to choose your circle of advisers very carefully, when you are in charge. He’s been caged; things are going on in his ministry that he did not know about.”

Soyinka added, for instance, that the former President did not know that King of Morocco had withdrawn his ambassador to Nigeria in March, 2015 until a week later.

He stated that the former leader surrounded himself with corrupt individuals.

“When it comes to the issue of corruption, Jonathan surrounds himself with certain unsavoury characters and that is something you don’t have to do if you are in charge,” he said.

Soyinka said a leader, dedicated to the fight against corruption, should ensure that the agencies entrusted with the responsibility of fighting the scourge, were strengthened.
 

According to him, he told Ribadu that he was being used by Obasanjo but said the pioneer EFCC chairman did not believe it.

He stated that the former EFCC boss admitted to him when he was forced to go on exile in the UK that he realised very late that OBJ was using him.

Soyinka stressed that it was imperative to remove the link between power and corruption in Nigeria.

He said, “Why should a President involve himself in what is already structurally established and dedicated to that purpose?

“I warned your former boss, Ribadu, I told him that your task will be done when in the course of your investigation, you discover that the source of the problem is the very person who appointed you.

“He looked shocked a bit, and eventually he and I met in London, after he was removed and El-Rufai was also on exile after they tried to kill him. We met and Ribadu refused to sit down. I asked him to sit but he said no, that until I accepted his apology, he wouldn’t sit down. I asked what apology? And he said ‘I should have listened to you. I failed to listen to you. Something you have said to me and I failed to listen’.

“Ribadu admitted that he realised very late that Obasanjo was using him.

“So we have to destroy that link between power and corruption. Audu Ogbe confirmed what I am telling you. Then, it was ‘go after this one, go after that one, ahh you did not arrest him? Arrest his mother’! I am challenging Obasanjo to deny it.

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