Ojudu urges Nigerians to leave Soyinka out of fight against oppression

• Says Nobel Laureate has done his best
• Implores youths to take over struggle for better Nigeria

Former Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, has admonished the youths to stop criticising the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for not fighting the current government of President Bola Tinubu.

He advised the young ones to go and fight as Soyinka started fighting for the betterment of Nigeria at about age 20, saying: “Why are you calling an old man to go and fight your battle for you? Take the mantle from him and go and fight.”

Ojudu gave the charge during an event, titled: “Turning Pages @ 90 – A Tribute to WS Art & Literary Legacies, which took place, at the weekend, at his residence in Ado-Ekiti, which he organised to celebrate Soyinka’s 90th birthday.

The senator said: “Soyinka took a lot of risks in the struggle to make Nigeria a better place. When the civil war was already raging, he went behind the line to the East to talk with Biafra warlord, Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. On his way back, he was arrested and detained in Kaduna.

“That detention itself produced the book “The Man Died”. He went through harrowing experiences in detention, but he never gave up. He continued to fight for a better Nigeria.

“When in 1982 and 1983 the National Party became a monster, he went to the studio and did a song called: I No Go Lie. He titled it ‘Ethical Revolution.’ Again, that album was banned.

“During the Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha era, he had to escape the country to go and organise NALINCON to collaborate with NADECO and those of us in the media to fight for the democracy we are enjoying today. “

For me, I do not think there is any other like him regarding the task he gave himself to make the country better.

“If at 90 years Nigeria has not yet attained the country of his wish, he has done his best. When I heard some young men condemning him for not fighting the current government, I say to them, if you have a grandfather who is 90 years old, will you want him to go to the streets and be carrying placards.

“Let the young ones go and fight. Soyinka started fighting at about age 20. Why are you calling an old man to go and fight your battle for you? Take the mantle from him and go and fight.

“Don’t call a 90-year-old man to come and be running around. He has done his own; he has contributed his quota. All that we can do is to continue to celebrate him.”

Among the highlights of the event was reading some of Soyinka’s works by the Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA), traditional drums by the theatre Students of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), among others.

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