‘Once a crusader, now silent’: Fr Kelvin takes aim at Soyinka’s stance on Tinubu’s govt

Catholic priest Rev Fr Kelvin Ugwu has accused Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka of maintaining silence over the economic hardship and political situation in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Writing on Facebook on Saturday in a post titled “Prof Soyinka then vs Prof Soyinka now”, the Gambia-based missionary contrasted Soyinka’s past activism with what he described as the writer’s “muted stance” in recent years.

Fr Ugwu recalled that during the administrations of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Soyinka was known for his outspoken criticism of government policies, calling him a “movement” and a “social crusader”.

However, he said Soyinka’s voice had grown noticeably quiet during the Muhammadu Buhari administration and had now “completely faded” under Tinubu’s leadership.

“Then came Tinubu, a man with no clear identity and whose academic records are in question. In just two years, he has plunged Nigeria into deeper debt and multidimensional poverty,” Fr Ugwu wrote.

The cleric added that Soyinka, once seen as a champion of the oppressed, had “suddenly become deaf and dumb”, questioning the reason behind his perceived silence.

Fr Ugwu rejected suggestions that Soyinka’s stance was influenced by ethnic loyalty, noting that the Nobel laureate had previously criticised Yoruba leaders, including former president Obasanjo.

He further remarked, with a touch of irony, that if Tinubu’s ability to silence critics was through supernatural means, “then juju is indeed powerful”.