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Wole Soyinka: A Sojourner Among Liars

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Wole Soyinka A Sojourner Among Liars
Wole Soyinka A Sojourner Among Liars
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Wole Soyinka: A Sojourner Among Liars

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Wole Soyinka Unleashes His “Nastiest” Book Yet: A No-Holds-Barred Assault on Nigeria’s Culture of Lies

  Professor Wole Soyinka described his latest book as the “nastiest” he has written so far. InterInventions: Between Defective Memory and the Public Lie – A Personal Odyssey in The Republic of Liars (Ibadan: Bookcraft, 2015, 136pp) lives up to that claim.   And yet, who can tell if an even nastier volume won’t follow? Soyinka has vowed to expose the lies festering in our Republic. This new work, a continuation of his Interventions series (I-IV), targets the dismantling of public deceit—malicious or otherwise. He calls out lies told, lies exaggerated, fraudulent and murderous lies, accidental ones, and those uttered by depraved minds bent on burdening others to elevate themselves or feed their egos at someone else’s expense.   This book, though personal in focus, doesn’t descend into simple pamphleteering, despite Soyinka’s modest claims. It unfolds as a fine, extended essay in the tradition of classical polemic. Soyinka writes with punch and precision—mercilessly. He doesn’t pull punches or hide behind veiled barbs. Instead, he goes all in, wielding a bazooka in one hand and a gilt-edged knife in the other, tearing apart the hypocrisy of public figures in a Republic plagued by lies, dementia-level memory lapses, and moral psychosis.   He uses language as a weapon—dramatic, cutting, and charismatic—mocking human folly and the verminous antics of those he names and shames.   Soyinka draws from his personal experiences as someone repeatedly lied to and lied about. He uses that perspective to raise a larger question: What has happened to truth in our society? He invites readers to reflect on a deeper ethical crisis. His subjects—including Obasanjo, Chinweizu, Adewale Maja-Pearce, Peter Enahoro, Major Salawu, Gbenga Daniel, Abiola Ogundokun, and Olagunsoye Oyinlola—emerge as symbolic figures representing a hydra-headed social illness. Power, ego, delusion, and the compulsive urge to lie infect the national psyche.   Through this moral lens, Soyinka also explores themes such as life’s uncertainty, the unpredictability of human character, and the helplessness of victims in a country overrun by fabulists.   The narrative moves organically, its personal tone anchoring larger philosophical questions about ethics, humanity, and truth. At its core, Soyinka’s subject remains man and his enduring flaws. The book reveals a universal truth: even those who quote scripture with ease can behave with startling nastiness. I recommend this book to anyone who values critical thought and provocative writing. At just N1,000, it offers affordable insight and biting commentary—and, importantly, it’s filled with quotable lines. As Soyinka boldly states on page 93:   > “My publishers are hereby fully indemnified by me against court processes, as well as the consequences of any libel suits that may arise from this maiden number of the InterInventions series.”       Those whom Soyinka brands as “the greatest public liars I have ever known” have reason to feel aggrieved, but Soyinka clearly doesn’t care.   Take, for example, his scathing portrayal of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Soyinka calls him an “overgrown child of circumstance,” “Double-O-Seven,” “an infliction,” “a hypocrite,” and “an irredeemable egomaniac.” He likens Chinweizu to “Chichidodo,” a bird that feeds on excrement. He brands Adewale Maja-Peace “the area-boy of letters” and Peter Pan as “lying, opportunistic, contemptible.” He dubs Olagunsoye Oyinlola “the Prince of Darkness” and refers to Gbenga Daniel as “DaaniElebo.”   And of Maja-Pearce—nicknamed “Ade-Boy!”—Soyinka declares:   > “It is a time to remind him that the stern rod of Ogun awaits all lying tongues.” (p. 38)       He doesn’t spare Abiola Ogundokun either:   > “Of all the loathsome lumps of slime that ever oozed from the sump of human depravity to aspire to human form, none comes close to the two-legged parasite that goes by the name of Abiola Ogundokun.”       To Major Rasaki Salawu, Soyinka dedicates a considerable portion of the book, starting with the cryptic phrase “Howu Salawu” and proceeding with a relentless takedown. Soyinka’s anti-heroes ought to respond, if only to counter the indelible mark his words leave. The author’s credibility lends authority to every insult. Audi alteram partem—let the other side be heard.   Surprisingly, former President Obasanjo brushed it off in an interview with The Punch:   Reporter: While you were away from the country, your friend Prof. Wole Soyinka launched a book in which he called you a child of circumstance. OBJ (in Yoruba): Se o so be? (Did he say so?) Reporter: He even said he wouldn’t eat food you gave him unless you ate from it first. OBJ (in Yoruba): Mi o mo o. (I don’t know.)   Obasanjo, visibly irritated, walked out of the interview while the questions kept coming. Reporter: Why are the two of you always quarrelling? OBJ: Kini wahala yin? (What is your problem?)   Indeed, what is our problem?   If Obasanjo hasn’t read the book, he should—especially since Soyinka has promised a follow-up “shake-down” edition. On page 53, he teases a “collective effort, a corroborative—or self-cancelling—anthology by many long-suffering victims… dedicated solely to the Otta phenomenon.”   Soyinka may treat Republic of Liars as a temporary battlefield, but his stature in the world of letters ensures that his legacy extends far beyond local squabbles. Still, readers shouldn’t be surprised if they find the book emotionally charged and deeply personal.   The larger takeaway? As a society, we face a troubling reality: Nigerians seem to enjoy lying—perhaps more than any other people. We’ve become fabulists by nature. While imagination can be an asset, it often becomes a weapon of destruction. Tale-bearers transform into amateur broadcasters, adding layers to falsehoods until the truth becomes unrecognizable. This cruelty—the wickedness of man to man—drives Soyinka’s anger.   The rise of the internet has made lying easier and more socially acceptable. Social media platforms, shrouded in anonymity, help falsehoods grow and mutate until they pass for truth. Repetition converts fiction into collective memory. These lies corrupt public discourse, ruin relationships, and dismantle communities.   Soyinka champions truth and ethical behavior. But he also acknowledges the pervasiveness of the rot. Lying has become normalized. Politicians deceive voters and later deny their own words—even when technology offers irrefutable proof. Legal systems meant to punish defamation fail miserably. Libel cases drag endlessly or fall apart due to legal technicalities. Worse still, the public loves the drama, embraces the lies, and rewards the liars.    

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