Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has commended former Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for his principled stance during the 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries, describing his refusal to concede defeat to President Bola Tinubu as a defining moment for democracy in Nigeria.
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Soyinka, who spoke on Friday during a public lecture marking Amaechi’s 60th birthday in Abuja, on Saturday, said he derived “malicious pleasure” watching Amaechi resist pressure to back down during the primaries. Unlike other aspirants, Soyinka said, Amaechi stood firm, telling party leaders, “I didn’t come all the way here to commit suicide.”
“This is what democracy is all about,” Soyinka declared, applauding what he called Amaechi’s “fighting spirit” and courage to challenge entrenched political expectations. He said Amaechi’s stance gave Tinubu “a dose of his own medicine.”
The Nobel Laureate drew parallels between Amaechi’s 2023 defiance and his earlier role as the “last man standing” against former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s alleged third-term agenda in 2006. According to Soyinka, Amaechi, then Rivers governor, resisted attempts to withhold state funds as a coercive tactic—a move Soyinka described as unconstitutional and politically oppressive.
Beyond politics, Soyinka praised Amaechi’s contributions to the arts, recalling his role in hosting a mini-festival to mark Soyinka’s 80th birthday and nearly securing the UNESCO World Book Capital title for Port Harcourt.
He also addressed unfounded allegations that Amaechi diverted funds from the festival, some of which were allegedly shared with him. Soyinka dismissed the claims as “execrable,” jokingly asking for his supposed share of the loot and criticizing the politicization of cultural initiatives.
“Amaechi is a remarkable, resilient individual,” Soyinka concluded. “His courage and convictions have remained consistent, even in the face of political hostility.”
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