Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has vehemently defended popular Nigerian singer, Davido, over a video that caused controversy on his social media handles and seemingly mocked the Muslim faith. The video in question was shared by Davido’s new signee, Logos Olori, and featured men dressed in white ‘jalabiya’ praying and dancing in front of a mosque. This content drew criticism and offense from some members of the Muslim community, who called for an apology from Davido and even threatened to boycott his music.
However, Soyinka, known for his candid and principled stand on issues, expressed his unwavering support for Davido, asserting that the singer should not feel obliged to apologize to anyone, including the Muslim community. He pointed out that his past experiences with similar controversies had led him to believe that apologies were often unnecessary and contrived, especially when there was a lack of genuine contrition and restitution.
Soyinka recalled an incident from years ago when he intervened to challenge a former Governor of Kaduna State, El Rufai, over comments that were perceived as derogatory to Christians. In that instance, he argued that El Rufai’s apology was not warranted, as well as another case involving a bank manager who made an analogy related to Easter. Soyinka stood by his belief that apologies should only be made when there is a genuine reason for contrition and when justice demands it.
The distinguished Nobel laureate also expressed his disagreement with Shehu Sani, a prominent politician, who reportedly demanded an apology from Davido on behalf of the Muslim community. Soyinka asserted that no apology was required from Davido and that such demands were unnecessary. He criticized the prevalence of “petulant censorship” in the realm of music and dance, questioning where this trend of seeking apologies would eventually lead.
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