₦airaland Forum

As Soyinka warns Nigerians of a full-blown dictator should Buhari be allowed to return in 2019

Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari over his comments at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference last Sunday.

In a statement Thursday, Mr Soyinka mocked the president by saying Mr Buhari had obviously given a deep thought to his travails under a military dictatorship and concluded that his incarceration at that time was also in the ‘national interest.’
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Mr Buhari was imprisoned for years by the Ibrahim Babangida regime after his military dictatorship was overthrown in 1985.

Since returning to power in 2015, Mr Buhari’s government has held some Nigerians for years without trial. High profile detainees have been denied freedom despite court orders.
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“Here we go again,” Mr Soyinka said in the statement he titled ‘Buhari’s Pernicious Doctrine.’
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“At his first coming, it was ‘I intend to tamper with Freedom of the Press,’ and Buhari did proceed to suit action to the words, sending two journalists – Irabor and Thompson – to prison as a reward for their professional integrity.
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“Now, a vague, vaporous, but commodious concept dubbed “national interest” is being trotted out as alibi for flouting the decisions of the Nigerian judiciary. President Buhari has obviously given deep thought to his travails under a military dictatorship, and concluded that his incarceration was also in the ‘national interest.'”
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Mr Buhari sparked outrage with his statement while addressing a gathering of lawyers when he said: “the rule of law must be subject to the supremacy of the nation’s security and national interest.”
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The president’s comments drew criticisms from the lawyers and Nigerians who condemned his statement in strong terms.
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In his statement on Thursday, Mr Soyinka described the timing of the president’s speech as “perfect.”
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“We have cause to be thankful for the advance warning, since not all rulers actually make a declaration of intent, but simply proceed to degrade the authority of the law as part of the routine business of governance,” said Mr Soyinka.
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“We have been there before. It should be of mere interest, not despondency, that this latest proclamation of dictatorial recidivism has also been made before an assembly of officers of the law, the Nigerian Bar Association. We expect a robust response from the NBA as part of its conclusions.”
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Mr Soyinka noted that there is no shortcut to democracy and that the history of law, even where uncodified, is as old as humanity.
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“Numerous rulers have tried again and again to annul that institution,” he said.
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“Sometimes, they appear to succeed, but in the end, they pay heavy forfeit. So does society.
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“The rule of law, however, outlasts all subverters, however seemingly powerful. If the consequences for society in defence of the rule of law were not so costly, any new attempt would be merely banal and boring, hardly deserving of attention. We know, historically, where it will all end.”

buharitill2023:
i don't know why the jobless aggressive lazy idiotic pigs of bia-fra terrorist lives depend on "likes" in social media.

Massdamm:
that is whr deji problems started ;Dthat is whr deji problems started

johnmartus:
Look at them I think they have change from their crooked act. Give me this form free I will throw it inside bin , useless and failure form.buy it at your own risk,if you know you.

Butterflyleo:
You seem to have an echo between your ears.

Did I say PMB BEGAN IT?

Gej had 8 years to deliver it but failed and PMB is delivering it in 3 years and you still cannot see how foolish you sound.

Wailers united

Butterflyleo:
You seem to have an echo between your ears.

Did I say PMB BEGAN IT?

Gej had 8 years to deliver it but failed and PMB is delivering it in 3 years and you still cannot see how foolish you sound.

Wailers united

Butterflyleo:
LOKOWETO BRIDGE connecting Nassarawa and Benue will be fully opened to the public for use in November 2018.

The bridge measures 2.2 kilometers.

PMB 2019 its gonna be good!!!!

sarrki:
I don’t believe you sir

You were sacked because you are a public service

Supporting Buhari openlwas wrong

I am a die hard Buhari

What you did by going to election center and rejoicing openly was not good

seunmsg:
If at this point you can't see that 2019 will be different, then I am really sorry for you. Wake up and smell the coffee my friend, parade don change gear since.

seunmsg:
As it stands, Buhari should get nothing less than 40% of the total votes from south south next year.

buharitill2023:
I know say op no get sense.

What shall it profit the jobless aggressive lazy idiotic pigs of Bia-fra terrorist if they sit on a golden or diamond chair and sleep in jail like dansuki and be attack by cancerous disease like mrs madueke or about to go to jail like fayose.

The Bible advice us that good name is far better than diamonds.

Butterflyleo:
The furniture is not thorn. Look closely.

Those are flowery designs all around certain areas of the chair.

Its not a tear as you thought.

The chair is simple enough but not thorn.

Do you need a new pair of wailing eyes?

It seems too much wailing has damaged your eyesight.

Zoom the picture and see all the other flowery patterns

mrvitalis:
Bro they are rented I'm in uyo... Even his campaign office is been constructed ...he did this in a hurry I just don't know why

The man hasn't done shit in uyo or ikot ekpene just eket

Trust me and uyo man and an oron deputy in apc udom is gone

kcmichael:
See akpabio crowd