Fr. Kelvin Ugwu’s Fiery Rebuke: “Suddenly Deaf and Dumb” – Calls Out Wole Soyinka’s Silence on Tinubu’s Hardships
On October 11, 2025, Rev. Fr. Kelvin Ugwu, a prominent Catholic missionary priest based in Gambia, unleashed a scathing critique of Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka via a viral Facebook post titled Prof Soyinka Then vs Prof Soyinka Now. In it, Ugwu accused the 90-year-old literary icon of going eerily silent on Nigeria’s escalating economic woes under President Bola Tinubu’s administration—contrasting sharply with Soyinka’s once-fiery condemnations of past leaders. “You are suddenly deaf and dumb!” Ugwu lamented, framing the Nobel winner’s quiet as a betrayal of his legacy as a “social crusader” and “movement” for justice. The post, which has racked up thousands of shares, taps into a broader Nigerian discourse on intellectual hypocrisy amid multidimensional poverty, naira devaluation, and inflation hitting 35%+.
The Core of Ugwu’s Blast: From Vocal Firebrand to Selective Silence
Ugwu painted a vivid “then vs. now” portrait:
- Soyinka “Then”: Under Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Soyinka was unrelenting—lambasting Obasanjo’s third-term bid as tyrannical and Jonathan’s regime as a “reign of impunity” worse than biblical tyrant Nebuchadnezzar. Ugwu hailed him as a fearless voice who “challenged government excesses” regardless of ethnicity, even roasting fellow Yoruba leader Obasanjo.
- Soyinka “Now”: Under Tinubu (a Yoruba ally from their NADECO days), Ugwu claims Soyinka’s critiques have “faded” since Buhari’s era and vanished entirely post-2023. He spotlighted Tinubu’s “deeper debt” plunge and “questionable academic records,” questioning: “In just two years… he has plunged Nigeria into… multidimensional poverty.” Ugwu dismissed ethnic loyalty excuses (“Soyinka criticized Yoruba leaders before”) and quipped about “juju” silencing him: “If this is what people mean by juju, then juju is powerful.”
This isn’t Ugwu’s first rodeo—he’s a vocal social media activist on Nigerian issues, from corruption to youth empowerment. His post echoes earlier Reddit threads and op-eds decrying Soyinka’s “selective outrage,” where Jonathan got biblical fire but Tinubu gets a pass despite “economic genocide” via subsidy removal and currency woes.
Context: Soyinka’s Actual Track Record Under Tinubu – Not Total Silence?
While Ugwu’s charge of “deaf and dumb” stings, Soyinka hasn’t been entirely mute:
- In March 2025, he slammed Tinubu’s Rivers State emergency rule as “excessive,” calling for constitutional reforms to curb presidential overreach and protect federalism. The presidency fired back, defending it as a constitutional duty.
- Also in March, responding to demands for a one-year review, Soyinka pushed back: “I never swallowed an alarm clock… People should stop working on my timetable.” He insisted he’d speak when “necessary,” not on cue—framing it as independence, not evasion.
Yet critics like Ugwu argue these interventions are “tame and lame,” lacking the “edginess” of yore, especially amid 2025’s protests over hunger and insecurity. Tinubu honored Soyinka in July 2024 (renaming the National Theatre after him) and October 2025 (for Independence Day), which some see as cozying up—fueling “ally bias” talk.
X Buzz: Viral Backlash and Tribal Jabs
The story lit up X on October 11, with over 2,600 views on Daily Post’s post alone. Reactions split along familiar lines:
- Supporters of Ugwu: Posts amplified the “deaf and dumb” line, tying it to “tribal inhumanity” and “Southwest looting.” One user: “His World honor is for Justice… not for his tribal… Settlers.”
- Defenders of Soyinka: Some dismissed it as “consent farming” or unfair, noting his age (90) and past critiques.
- Broader Echoes: Media handles like CEOAFRICA and HeraldNG shared headlines, sparking debates on “selective activism.” Hashtags like #SoyinkaSilence trended briefly in Nigeria.
Why This Hits Hard in 2025 Nigeria
Ugwu’s call-out lands amid Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” facing backlash: Debt hit $100B+, 40% poverty rate, and youth-led protests echoing #EndBadGovernance. It revives questions of elite accountability—Soyinka, once jailed by Gowon for Biafra advocacy, now accused of pulling punches for a friend in Aso Rock. As Ugwu put it: “The future of our world, our youth, depend on it” (wait, that’s Harry—kidding; he meant the masses’ voice).
Soyinka hasn’t responded yet, but expect ripples—perhaps a poetic riposte. Is this fair game, or elder-bashing? In Naija’s raw politics, both sides have points. What’s your verdict: Selective silence, or earned rest?