A storm of criticism has followed the actions of some supporters of the Obidient movement who made jokes about Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, after reports claimed he faced a brief visa issue in the United States.
The 91-year-old literary legend, who remains Africa’s first and only Nobel Prize winner in Literature, was said to have been delayed at a U.S. airport due to what was described as a minor visa technicality. Instead of sympathy, the news sparked ridicule from a section of Labour Party loyalists online.
Many Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, have expressed anger over the incident. They described the mockery as “a display of moral decay” and “a disgraceful act of ignorance.”
Public commentators reminded Obidient supporters that Soyinka’s lifetime achievements have brought immense pride to Nigeria and the entire African continent. They urged that political differences should never lead to disrespecting one of the country’s greatest intellectual figures.