A Catholic missionary priest in the Gambia named Rev. Fr. Kelvin Ugwu has criticized renowned author Wole Soyinka for what he perceives to be his silence throughout President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a Facebook post titled “Prof Soyinka then vs. Prof Soyinka now,” he charged that the Nobel laureate had not commented at all during Tinubu’s rule and had become more reserved under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Soyinka was outspoken under the administrations of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, according to Ugwu, who described him as a “social crusader” and “movement” who openly denounced injustices by the government.
“Then came Tinubu, a man whose academic records are in doubt and whose identity is unclear,” said he. In his two years in government, he has increased Nigeria’s debt and reduced the standard of living for its people.
He asked why Soyinka, who had previously been a well-known spokesperson for the people, “suddenly became deaf and dumb” under Tinubu’s leadership.
According to Ugwu, the Nobel laureate has attacked former Yoruba leaders like Obasanjo, and he further denied that Soyinka’s silence was driven by ethnic loyalty.
When he joked that “if this is what people mean by juju, then juju is powerful,” he also hinted that Tinubu’s capacity to influence detractors might be inexplicable.
