To commemorate Soyinka’s 90th birthday, Tinubu named the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos after the Nobel Laureate.
The theatre will now be named as the ‘Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts”
In a congratulatory note personally signed by the president on Thursday, Tinubu stated that Soyinka deserves to be celebrated, noting that he has been taking risks for the country since he was in his twenties
Tinubu also praised Soyinka’s role to the restoration of democracy in Nigeria, stating that the essayist’s international standing made him the face of the campaign to validate the June 12, 1993 presidential elections.
The President stated, “Our paths intersected during our rightful struggle for the establishment of democracy in Nigeria following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
“When confronted with a trial in absentia and a death sentence by the military administration at home, he organized opposition in exile through NALICON and NADECO. His international status made him the face of our campaign to validate June 12 and restore democracy in Nigeria.
“Beginning in his twenties, he accepted personal risks for our country. His bravery was shown when he attempted to negotiate peace at the outbreak of the civil war in 1967. He was imprisoned for two years for his bravery and wrote about it in his memoir, “The Man Died.”
“Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all of the plaudits as he celebrates 90 years on Earth. Having overcome prostate cancer, this achievement is a fitting homage to his toughness as a person and the importance of his profession.
“It is also appropriate to honor this national treasure while he is still with us.
“We honor Soyinka’s tremendous literary achievements as well as his unshakable commitment to human decency and justice.
“Soyinka is a behemoth, a true Renaissance man endowed with boundless abilities. He is a playwright, actor, poet, human-rights and political activist, composer, and performer. He is a giant who rules not just the literary world, but also our country, Africa, and the entire planet.
“He continues to be the beacon of hope for our country, the thorn in our side that calls out oppression and tyranny and pushes us to grow as a people.”
