Wole Soyinka Shuns Confraternity That Mocked Bola Tinubu
Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka in his statement on Monday reacted resentfully on a group identified as confraternity who chanted a song of mockery at the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Soyinka in his statement distanced himself completely from such action, saying he was not involved in that public performance. He described the action of this group as distasteful and frankly appalled.
The Nobel laureate in a statement captioned: “Interim Statement on a dubious political outing,” said his attention had been drawn to a video clip making internet rounds, of a dancing and chanting group, in red and white costume, purportedly members of the Pyrates Confraternity.“The display acidly targets a presidential candidate in the awaited 2023 elections. Since the whole world knows of my connection with that fraternity, it is essential that I state in clear, unambiguous terms, that I am not involved in that public performance, nor in any way associated with the sentiments expressed in the songs.
He however acknowledged the freedom of expression and that the confraternity is just like any group entitled for freedom of expression. Therefore, he couldn't dictate for them.
“Like any other civic group, the Pyrates Confraternity is entitled to its freedom of expression, individually or collectively. So also, is Wole Soyinka in his own person. I do not interfere in, nor do I attempt dictate the partisan political choices of the Confraternity".
Soyinka also revealed that he was unaware of the action of the confraternity which he affirmed was awful according to the indigenous culture.
“I remain unaware that the association ever engages in a collective statement of sponsorship or repudiation of any candidate. This is clearly a new and bizarre development, fraught with unpredictable consequences.
In addition, let me make the following cultural affirmation. I have listened to the lyrics of the chant intently and I am frankly appalled. I find it distasteful. I belong to a culture where we do not mock physical afflictions or disabilities. Very much the contrary,” he said.
According to Soyinka, the Yoruba religion indeed designate a deity, Obatala, as the divine protector of the afflicted, no matter the nature of such affliction, saying that this “sensibility is engrained in us from childhood and remains with us all our lives. It operates on the principle of mortal frailty to which all humanity remains vulnerable.”
He added: “One of my favourite authors, about whom, by a coincidence, I had cause to write quite recently, was CLR James, author of The Black Jacobins, Beyond A Boundary etc. etc. I called him my ideological uncle. He suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, but remained alert, lucid and combative for decades after the onset of the disease.
“We interacted politically at the Tanzanian pan-African Congress, the Dakar Festival of Negro Arts and a number of other cultural and political fora. We met frequently in his lifetime, dined together in restaurants, despite his challenge. it would be unthinkable, and a desecration of his memory to be part of any activity that mocked his affliction.”
Soyinka said a further statement would be issued when he had made further enquiries into this strange, uncharacteristic outing of the association.