"Fr. Kelvin Calls Out Soyinka: 'He Went Mute and Deaf Under Tinubu'"

Table of Contents

• Criticism of Prof Wole Soyinka
• Comparison of Past and Present Activism
• Concerns About Tinubu's Leadership
• Soyinka's Silence Explained

Catholic missionary priest working in Gambia, Rev. Fr. Kelvin Ugwu, has expressed his disappointment with Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka regarding what he perceives as the writer’s silence on the struggles faced by Nigerians under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a Facebook post titled ‘Prof. Soyinka then vs. Prof. Soyinka now’, shared on Saturday, the priest contrasted Soyinka’s previous activism during earlier administrations with his apparent quietness in recent years.

Ugwu recalled that during the tenures of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Soyinka was a vocal advocate, labeling him a “movement” and “social crusader” who openly challenged government excesses.

However, he observed that Soyinka’s criticisms became less pronounced during late President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and have now, according to Ugwu, virtually disappeared under Tinubu’s government.

“Then came Tinubu, a man with an unclear identity and questionable academic credentials. In just two years in office, he has driven Nigeria deeper into debt and plunged Nigerians into multidimensional poverty,” Ugwu remarked.

He expressed concern that Soyinka, once a prominent voice for the people, has “suddenly become deaf and mute” under Tinubu’s leadership, pondering what might have led to this shift.

Ugwu also rejected the idea that ethnic loyalty is the reason for Soyinka’s silence, noting that the Nobel laureate had previously criticized other Yoruba leaders, including Obasanjo.

He further suggested that Tinubu's influence over critics could be profound, humorously adding, “If this is what people mean by juju, then juju is indeed powerful.”