by Clifford Orji

 

Excerpts from Wole Soyinka’s recent lecture, “Predicting Nigeria? Electoral Ironies”, at Harvard have finally trickled down to the Nigerian media and given its polarizing content, #NigerianTwitter hasn’t taken too kindly to it.

The Igbos are probably the only group of Nigerians that you can predict with great accuracy whom they will vote for in an election, because they tend to put their votes where their stomachs take them; suffering as it were, from incurable money-mindedness, as they would stop at nothing in their quest for personal financial gain.

Hosted by the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, the Department of African and African American Studies, and the Center for African Studies, Soyinka touched a variety of topics but his comments on Igbo voting patterns have drawn the ire of many.

Wole Soyinka’s Igbo hate speech is #EmpiricalEvidence why retirement was created; to avoid making a fool of yourself at old age

— afrispheric (@afrispheric) May 5, 2015

Wole Soyinka is only expressing the hate he always had for Chinua Achebe. He has always been Jealous Achebe took his shine

— onapleasuride (@pleasuride) May 5, 2015

The same shameless “influencers” that were mute when Patience insulted Northern families/children are angry about Wole Soyinka’s comment. — Bello El-Rufai (@B_ELRUFAI) May 5, 2015

Just read an excerpt of the Speech Prof Wole Soyinka delivered at Harvard. His opinion on the Igbos was as distasteful as it was silly. — Tony Atambi Esq. (@TonyAtambi) May 5, 2015

What Wole Soyinka said is too terrible. Irresponsible. However, we have a new lampost for those who want to label an ethnic group.

— Oluseun Onigbinde (@seunonigbinde) May 5, 2015

Every day Igbo people.. Oooooshey fans! Wole Soyinka, we see you. An elderly person like you can’t just maintain his lane

— DonJazzyLuvsMe Feb24 (@CheRox) May 5, 2015

 

 

Photo by Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer