Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has dared former Osun State deputy governor and new National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Iyiola Omisore, to sue him over his (Soyinka’s) recent comments that Omisire should be held responsible for the murder of former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige.
The literary icon who spoke yesterday, April 8, 2022 at a media interaction in Lagos, titled: “Forget the past, forfeit the future: A nation seceding from humanity,’’ decried the increasing rate of insecurity in the country, which has led to killings, kidnappings and violence in several parts of the federation. Soyinka added that, he would be delighted to be involved in legal proceedings to unravel the killers of former Attorney – General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.
Soyinka had in a statement last Saturday said the resumption of an investigation into Ige’s murder was already hamstrung and disrobed of credibility with the emergence of a prime suspect in the case as the National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Demanding a retraction of the statement, Senator Omisore through his solicitors said although he held the renowned scholar in high esteem as an elder statesman and Nobel laureate, he either made the statement without full knowledge of what had transpired in the matter or as a result of misinformation.
In a letter dated April 4, 2022, by his lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), which he addressed to Soyinka, the APC national secretary advised him to “be better informed and take necessary steps to withdraw the earlier comments.”
While making clarification of his statement, Soyinka said for a man to de-cap a respected minister and throw the cap to thugs was disrespectful, noting that such an action led to other actions.
He said, “That doesn’t mean you were responsible for the person’s death. But certain actions led to other actions.”
Soyinka pointed out that such a person should not be made an envoy of the party even if the ruling party desired to give him a post.
“We are talking of the party of those in charge of the governance and justice of this country. The leadership of APC and I am not talking of Buhari alone, do you have to unleash scorpions on our memory? It is not Soyinka who provided this. It’s those who were so insensitive, who rubbed that murder in our faces.
“I will be delighted to go to court so that we can go into details. I asked the APC leadership to have a rethink because the issue will not go away.”
Also, at the press conference, human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN), said the killers of Ige must be found, stressing that Soyinka had reminded President Buhari of his pledge to open an enquiry into the country’s spate of political murders.
Falana who threw his legal might behind Soyinka, said “If you are sued, we will represent you free of charge because you are taking on a public issue.”
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has dared former Osun State deputy governor and new National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Iyiola Omisore, to sue him over his (Soyinka’s) recent comments that Omisire should be held responsible for the murder of former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige.
The literary icon who spoke yesterday, April 8, 2022 at a media interaction in Lagos, titled: “Forget the past, forfeit the future: A nation seceding from humanity,’’ decried the increasing rate of insecurity in the country, which has led to killings, kidnappings and violence in several parts of the federation. Soyinka added that, he would be delighted to be involved in legal proceedings to unravel the killers of former Attorney – General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.
Soyinka had in a statement last Saturday said the resumption of an investigation into Ige’s murder was already hamstrung and disrobed of credibility with the emergence of a prime suspect in the case as the National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Demanding a retraction of the statement, Senator Omisore through his solicitors said although he held the renowned scholar in high esteem as an elder statesman and Nobel laureate, he either made the statement without full knowledge of what had transpired in the matter or as a result of misinformation.
In a letter dated April 4, 2022, by his lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), which he addressed to Soyinka, the APC national secretary advised him to “be better informed and take necessary steps to withdraw the earlier comments.”
While making clarification of his statement, Soyinka said for a man to de-cap a respected minister and throw the cap to thugs was disrespectful, noting that such an action led to other actions.
He said, “That doesn’t mean you were responsible for the person’s death. But certain actions led to other actions.”
Soyinka pointed out that such a person should not be made an envoy of the party even if the ruling party desired to give him a post.
“We are talking of the party of those in charge of the governance and justice of this country. The leadership of APC and I am not talking of Buhari alone, do you have to unleash scorpions on our memory? It is not Soyinka who provided this. It’s those who were so insensitive, who rubbed that murder in our faces.
“I will be delighted to go to court so that we can go into details. I asked the APC leadership to have a rethink because the issue will not go away.”
Also, at the press conference, human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN), said the killers of Ige must be found, stressing that Soyinka had reminded President Buhari of his pledge to open an enquiry into the country’s spate of political murders.
Falana who threw his legal might behind Soyinka, said “If you are sued, we will represent you free of charge because you are taking on a public issue.”
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