Nigerians have reacted strongly after Professor Wole Soyinka recently accepted a national honour—sparking criticism because he had previously rejected a similar award in 2014 under President Goodluck Jonathan.
In 2014, during Nigeria’s Centenary celebrations, Soyinka declined to accept the national award because the list included General Sani Abacha, whom he described as a “murderer and thief of no redeeming quality.” Soyinka called the inclusion a “national insult” and criticized the government for canonizing terror.
Recently, Soyinka accepted a Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) award. This prompted backlash across social media and traditional media outlets, with critics accusing him of a double standard.
Observers have asked: If he rejected an award for principle once, why did he now accept? Some view it as compromising earlier stances.
