WOLE SOYINKA, NOBEL LAUREATE NOT NOBEL POLITICIAN.
Literary giant, encyclopedic vocabulary, gifted writer.
Qualities of an extraordinary literary giant and laureate.
Politically backs the wrong horses and parties.
Vociferously backed Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari as President.
Not as vociferous in criticizing the Buhari regime,
Which is slowly dismantling Nigeria.
Developed political muteness and nonchalance,
To the human right abuses and misgovernance,
Of the Buhari Maladministration,
So as not to admit his political ineptitude.
Resurfaces one year to general elections in 2019.
And backing another group of inconsequentials,
Coincidentally with his “mortal enemy,” Obasanjo.
Is this a ploy to fragment the opposition,
And pave the way for a return of the Buhari nightmare?
Literal gifts not always transferable to political sagacity.
Prof. Wole Soyinka, you are a Nobel Laureate in Literature,
But an Ig Noble Laureate in Politics.
Admit your incompetence in the political arena.
Take a bow, retire to your literary denizens, and exit politics.
Actually,his appears to be an impossible status to be associated with from historical perspective, throughout recorded humanity’s quest to/for societal improvement. The Greeks had their Sophocles Euripides, Homers, and many more regarded as literary giants. The Romans had their: Virgil, Seneca, Machiavelli, the author of Divine Comedy, and in each country, their core societal Ideals and ideas, manifested in their works.(Literature, including poetry)are also veiled political activities. India, has Salmon Rushdie, (the Satanic Verses) was a critique of Islam and most of his works are critique of society, most times prescriptions on/for better life, for the community he loves, and reprimands of THE POWERS THAT BE. The central theses of Professor Soyinka, appears to be: who keeps quiet in the face of required remonstrance of power, about the state of the community ,should be considered dead. Did he go to the philosophical depth, to make that idea fairly understandable to the Nigerians and Biafrans, who were at the throat of each other between 1967 and 1970? Were Albert Luthli, Chinua Achebe, Camara Laye, better politician/Literary Giants? Let us see if he will dabble into the reelection of President Buhari as you are wont to believe. Thanks.
Prof. Soyinka does not appear to have firm and unwavering political principles. He accepted an appointment as Head of the FRSC (Federal Road Safety Corps) under military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida while a Nobel Laureate of Literature. The cohabitation of dictatorship and liberty should be abhorrent to any Nobel Laureate especially in Literature and Peace.
Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar is another Soyinka type who is presiding over the killing of Rohingya Muslims.