TheCable

Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna central, says the actions of President Muhammadu Buhari’s supporters after the 2011 presidential election are worse than what ‘Obidients’ are presently exhibiting.

Supporters of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi — dubbed ‘Obidients’ — have been repeatedly chided by members of other political parties and some stakeholders for being intolerant of opposing views.

In the buildup to the 2023 presidential election, Obi had advised his supporters — believed to be predominantly youths — to channel their energy positively and be open to future collaborations.

A few months later, Fani Kayode, former minister of aviation and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign team, had described Obi’s supporters as “poor little children” who “know how to throw punches but they don’t know how to take them”.

Most recently, criticism from the Obidients camp has been directed towards Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate, over his comments about the movement.

Soyinka had on Wednesday described Datti Baba-Ahmed’s “no president-elect” as “fascistic”. Baba-Ahmed, vice-presidential candidate of the LP, had said Bola Tinubu should not be sworn in as president.

The Nobel laureate had also said he warned Obi that his supporters may cost him the presidential election.

TheCable had reported the reaction of the Obidients in the wake of Soyinka’s comments.

SANI: LIKE OBIDIENTS, LIKE BUHARISTS

Commenting on the situation, Sani said the ‘Obidients’ are more peaceful than Buhari’s supporters in 2021.

Following the declaration of President Goodluck Jonathan as the winner of the presidential election in 2011, supporters of Buhari allegedly caused unrest in the north that led to the loss of several lives.

Using the situation as a point of reference, Sani said Nigerians only need to “recall the past” to put the “present” in proper perspective.

“No patriot should trigger or encourage anarchy; but we shouldn’t also ‘shorten our memories’; what Peter’s supporters are doing in 2023 is more peaceful than what Buhari’s supporters did in 2011,” he said.

“You only need to recall the past in order to appreciate the present.”