Professor Wole Soyinka-Diassociates Self From Pyrates Confraternity Mocking The APC Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu-Apalling, Bizarre, Dubious, Distasteful

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, is making it clear that he is not in connection with a viral video suspected to have been posted by a member of the National Association of Seadogs, popularly known as Pyrates Confraternity.

The video showed members of the confraternity, in high spirit, as they match down a street in jubilation, while chanting a song which appeared to be mocking the health status of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Pyrates were seen chanting;

“Hand dey shake, leg dey shake, Baba wey no well, dey shout emi lokan,” in reference to a statement made by Tinubu in the lead up to the APC presidential primary.

“Emi lokan,” which has become one of the most fsmous comments attributed to Tinubu, translates to “It’s my turn,” in Yoruba language.

Nonetheless, Professor Wole Soyinka said he considers it important to make his position clear as the world is aware of his connection with the confraternity.

The Nobel laureate made his stance known via a statement, yesterday, Soyinka described the video as “distasteful, dubious and bizarre.”

He said: “My attention has been drawn to a video clip making rounds on the internet of a dancing and chanting group, in red and white costume, purportedly members of the Pyrates Confraternity.

“The display acidly targets a presidential candidate in the awaited 2023 elections. Since the whole world knows of my connection with that fraternity, it is essential that I state in clear, unambiguous terms, that I am not involved in that public performance, nor in any way associated with the sentiments expressed in the songs.

“Like any other civic group, the Pyrates Confraternity is entitled to its freedom of expression, individually or collectively. So also is Wole Soyinka in his own person. I do not interfere in, nor do I attempt to dictate the partisan political choices of the confraternity.

“I remain unaware that the association ever engages in a collective statement of sponsorship or repudiation of any candidate. This is clearly a new and bizarre development, fraught with unpredictable consequences.

"In addition, let me make the following cultural affirmation. I have listened to the lyrics of the chant intently and I am frankly appalled. I find it distasteful. I belong to a culture where we do not mock physical afflictions or disabilities. Very much the contrary.

“The Yoruba religion indeed designate a deity, Obatala, as the divine protector of the afflicted, no matter the nature of such affliction. This sensibility is engrained in us from childhood and remains with us all our lives. It operates on the principle of mortal frailty to which all humanity remains vulnerable.

“One of my favourite authors, about whom, by a coincidence, I had cause to write quite recently, was CLR James, author of The Black Jacobins, Beyond A Boundary etc. etc.  I called him my ideological uncle.

“He suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, but remained alert, lucid and combative for decades after the onset of the disease.

“We interacted politically at the Tanzanian pan-African Congress, the Dakar Festival of Negro Arts and a number of other cultural and political fora. We met frequently in his lifetime, dined together in restaurants, despite his challenge.

‘’It would be unthinkable, and a desecration of his memory to be part of any activity that mocked his affliction.

“A further statement will be issued when I have made further enquiries into this strange, uncharacteristic outing of the association.”