The former governor of Ogun state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has responded to the allegation of Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka that he (Daniel) closed down the state House of Assembly for almost one year with the aid of the police.
Otunba Daniel said the comment of Soyinka against him was prejudicing and belittle the repute of the Africa’s first Nobel Prize winner for literature.
Soyinka during an interview with Zero Tolerance magazine, a publication of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, berated former president Goodluck Jonathan for appointing Daniel as a campaign manager.
“What about somebody like Gbenga Daniel who closed down a legislature for almost a year? When I heard this, I called Jonathan, I asked him, ‘is this your understanding of democracy”. A governor closes down an assembly with the aid of the police and the place is under lock with ‘Mopol’ guarding it. When Jonathan selected this person as his campaign manager in Abuja, I telephoned him; I said does this support democracy that you choose this person. It is not a question of this person is a governor therefore come to my party, I can work with him. No, when a president picks somebody for a particular duty it means you are pointing that person out as an aspect of government so you see, it is impossible for me to pick Jonathan as a candidate,” Soyinka noted in the interview.
Otunba Daniel took to his Twitter handle, @JustusOGD to deny the allegation, noting that he prays that the Laws of diminishing returns do not sometimes catch up with some of our Elder Statesmen.
[View the story “Daniel replies Soyinka: Your comments betray your repute” on Storify]
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