Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has commended former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for standing his ground during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in 2022.
Speaking at Amaechi’s 60th birthday celebration, Soyinka recalled watching the primary live from Abu Dhabi and said he was impressed by Amaechi’s refusal to step down for Bola Tinubu, who eventually won the contest.
“I took malicious and rascally pleasure in watching Tinubu get a taste of his own medicine,” Soyinka said, drawing a comparison between Amaechi’s stance and Tinubu’s past defiance during the Obasanjo administration.
He praised Amaechi’s commitment to democratic principles, recalling the moment Amaechi declared he wasn’t there to “commit lúle” — a now-famous phrase meaning to fall or fail — while others were quick to concede.
Tinubu won the APC primary with 1,271 votes, followed by Amaechi with 316, and then Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo with 235.
Soyinka’s remarks underscored what he saw as a rare act of political courage and integrity in Nigeria’s democratic space.
