Soyinka made the remarks while speaking as Chairman at Amaechi’s 60th birthday celebration held over the weekend in Abuja.
Nobel laureate and literary icon, Professor Wole Soyinka, has lauded former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for what he described as a bold and principled stance during the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary, declaring that Amaechi gave President Bola Tinubu “a taste of his own medicine.”
Soyinka made the remarks while speaking as Chairman at Amaechi’s 60th birthday celebration held over the weekend in Abuja.
In a speech that blended political insight with sharp historical reflection, the revered playwright praised Amaechi for his tenacity and refusal to withdraw from the APC presidential race, despite mounting pressure to step aside for Tinubu.
“The main reason I had to be here is because I admire Rotimi’s fighting spirit—and it’s a very consistent one,” Soyinka said.
Recalling how he watched the APC presidential primary live from Abu Dhabi in 2022, Soyinka said he felt a “rascally pleasure” seeing Amaechi refuse to step down, echoing a similar defiance Tinubu once showed against former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s alleged third-term agenda.
“I watched the entire primary election live on TV. It gave me great, rascally pleasure to see the incumbent president receive a taste of his own medicine,” Soyinka said.
“Back then, Tinubu was the last man standing when others had been cowed by unconstitutional withholding of their allocations. He resisted. And now, Amaechi played that same role during the primaries.”
While many aspirants dropped out of the race in favour of Tinubu, Amaechi, along with some others, including former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Pastor Tunde Bakare, and Rochas Okorocha, stayed in until the final vote.
Amaechi emerged as the runner-up, finishing behind Tinubu, who secured the party’s ticket and eventually won the 2023 presidential election.
Since the primary, Amaechi has largely stayed out of the public eye until recently, amid speculation that he is aligning with an emerging opposition bloc within the APC. Many believe he and some others are positioning themselves to challenge Tinubu’s leadership in the 2027 elections by building a political coalition.
Soyinka concluded his remarks by framing Amaechi’s political courage as a vital ingredient for democratic integrity.
“That is what democracy is all about—standing firm for your beliefs. Amaechi exemplified that spirit, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it unfold.”
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