December 10, (THEWILL) — The National Patriotic Elders Forum for Peace and Justice (NPEFPJ) has criticised Prof. Wole Soyinka for attacking the Federal Government for intervening in the recent attempted Coup in the Benin Republic, insisting that President Tinubu was justified in sending troops to quell the upheaval in the troubled country.
The President of the Forum, Dr Bature Abdul’Aziz, made the remark in a statement distributed to journalists in Kano on Wednesday.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did the right thing by sending troops to the neighbouring Benin Republic to quell the attempted coup that would have thrown the entire West African sub-region into chaos.
“It is, therefore, wrong for Prof. Wole Soyinka to criticise the President for dispatching soldiers to the Benin Republic, as the intervention was not only essential but also necessary to prevent the escalation of the violence to other parts of the sub-region”, Abdul’Aziz said.
“I expected Professor Soyinka, in his national and international standing, to know the socio-economic and political implications of a Coup in the Benin Republic”, he said.
If Nigeria had allowed the Coup to succeed in Benin Republic, he said, other neighbouring countries would also be under military rule, “and the next thing they would do is to isolate Nigeria.”
“Secondly, Nigeria has been holding the position of Mother of Africa for a long time, protecting so many troubled nations such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa and Gabon.
“So, it is not a new thing that Nigeria is intervening to restore normalcy in a sister African country, and I expected Prof. Soyinka to appreciate this fact, in view of his prominent position in the society”, the President said.
He, therefore, advised the Nobel Laureate to always use his important personality to advise President Tinubu on issues that would benefit Nigeria and its citizens.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
