Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka stated yesterday that he might consider reapplying for his American Green Card, which he had previously destroyed in protest against Donald Trump’s presidency.
Soyinka’s announcement came in the wake of Trump’s conviction in New York on Thursday on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
In response to the conviction, Soyinka, who had publicly expressed his disdain for Trump’s presidency by destroying his Green Card on January 20, 2017, explained his possible reconsideration.
“Seeing that this trite, personal gesture attracted such inordinate attention at the time, let me answer the question before it is asked: Yes, I may choose to apply for restoration of my card of Permanent Residence, known as the Green Card. Possibly,” he said.
Describing Trump’s conviction as “daybreak on a new democratic promise,” especially for millions in anguished parts of the world, particularly in Africa, Soyinka emphasized the significance of the event.
He said, “The warning is clear. Sooner or later, the clamor of equity breaks down the stoutest gates on guard across the citadel of impunity.”
Soyinka characterized the Trump debacle as a challenge and a call for preparedness and steadfastness. He cautioned against misinterpreting the event and urged vigilance against all forms of fascism, secular, military, or theocratic.
“It is ‘Not yet Uhuru,’ not anywhere close for humanity in our global village. Nonetheless, a celebration, albeit in a minor key, is justified,” he concluded.