‘No Apology Should Be Offered’ – Prof. Wole Soyinka Defends Davido

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has defended Nigerian music star Davido, who recently came under fire for a now-deleted video he posted on social media that was condemned by many Muslims.

Davido on Sunday had posted a 45-second video of his signee, Logos Olori on social media platforms. In it were some people dressed as Muslims dancing in front of a mosque.

The video was eventually taken down by Davido, succumbing to pressure from Muslim critics who demanded he delete the video from social media platforms and apologize.

However, the renowned Literary icon, Wole Soyinka, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said Davido owed noboby an apology, insisting on the ‘right of the artiste to deploy dance in a religious setting as a fundamental given’.

He said: ‘The following should not be needed, but we appear to inhabit a nation space where memory deficiency has become an accreditation badge of competence in national affairs. I recall my intervention, several years ago, in an attempt to pillory former Governor of Kaduna State, El Rufai over some comment he had made that was considered derogatory to followers of Christianity.

I forget the reference now but I do distinctly recall another of a bank manager who, at Easter tide, referred to the risen Christ as a metaphor for the risen dough in the bakeries of Oshodi. Something along those lines. Under obvious pressure, he apologized, and I rebuked him for the gesture.

There was nothing to apologize about, and that applied equally to El Rufai’s comments at the time. I disagree with Shehu Sani for demanding an apology from Davido on behalf of the Moslem community.

No apology is required, None should be offered. Let us stop battening down our heads in the mush of contrived contrition – we know where contrition, apology and restitution remain clamorous in the cause of closure and above all – justice. Such apologies have not been forthcoming. In their place, we have the ascendancy of petulant censorship in the dance and music department. Just where will it end?

Let us learn to read it that way. Those who persist in taking offence to bed and serving it up as breakfast should exercise their right of boycotting Davido’s products – no one quarrels with that right.

It was not Davido’s music that lynched Deborah Yakubu, and continues to frustrate the cause of justice. Nor has it contributed to the arbitrary detention of religious dissenters – call them atheists or whatever – such as Mubarak Bala, now languishing in prison for his 38th month’.

Join Our WhatsApp Updates [CLICK HERE]