By Abiola Olawale
Africa’s literary giant and renowned playwright, Professor Wole Soyinka has revealed the possibility of him reapplying for a United States permanent residency, also known as a green card, following the conviction of former President Donald Trump.
Soyinka, who is the first recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in Africa, said the conviction of Trump has indicated a
new democratic promise for Africans.
It would be recalled that Soyinka, a vocal critic of Trump, had previously voiced his resolve to destroy his green card in 2016 after Trump’s election win.
However, following a verdict which found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former US president to be convicted of a felony, Soyinka said he is considering reapplying for a new green card.
He said: “For millions in anguished parts of the world, certainly for us in vast swathes of the African continent, this is daybreak on a new democratic promise,” the statement reads.
“The warning is clear; sooner or later, the clamour of equity breaks down the stoutest gates on guard across the citadel of impunity.
“The Trump debacle is a challenge also, a call to preparedness and steadfastness. Installed and putative fascisms – secular, military or theocratic – will extract from this only the wrong lessons, batten down and ‘crackdown’ in self-protection.
“It is “Not yet Uhuru”, not anywhere close to humanity in our global village. Nonetheless, a celebration, albeit in a minor key, is justified.
“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.”
