Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has lauded former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, for demonstrating remarkable courage and principled leadership during the 2022 presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Soyinka praised Amaechi for refusing to step down in favour of eventual winner, now President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite intense political pressure.
Soyinka made these remarks in Abuja during a special event commemorating Amaechi’s 60th birthday. Reflecting on the events of the primary, Soyinka recounted how he had watched the proceedings live on television from Abu Dhabi, captivated by the political drama and particularly impressed by Amaechi’s unwavering stance.
“The main reason I had to be here today is because I deeply admire Rotimi Amaechi’s fighting spirit,” Soyinka said. “It’s a quality that has been consistent over time. But what stood out for me was during the APC presidential primaries.
I wasn’t in the country—I was in Abu Dhabi—but I made a point of watching the primaries live on television because I wanted to see the contest unfold.
And I’m glad I did, because it gave me what I might call a mischievous, even rascally pleasure to see the then-presidential candidate given a taste of his own medicine.”
Soyinka drew a striking parallel between Amaechi’s resistance in 2022 and Tinubu’s own earlier defiance during the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo. At the time, Tinubu had fiercely opposed alleged attempts by Obasanjo to amend the constitution and extend his tenure to a third term.
Recalling those events, Soyinka said, “Let me explain. There was a time when we all witnessed a former president attempting to secure a third term in office by manipulating constitutional changes. Although he continues to deny it, many of us—including him—know the truth.
To achieve that goal, he systematically weakened the constitutional powers of the federating units, and withheld statutory allocations to bring state governments under pressure.”
He continued, “In the end, almost everyone capitulated—except one man, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He was the last man standing. He stood firm and refused to back down. But during the APC primary, that same man got a taste of his own medicine, courtesy of Rotimi Amaechi. And I thoroughly enjoyed that moment.”
Soyinka went on to commend Amaechi’s refusal to yield during the primary, describing it as a powerful expression of democratic conviction and personal integrity. “While others were falling over themselves in a rush to endorse one candidate, there was one man who stood his ground.
He stepped onto the podium and declared, ‘No, I will not concede. I didn’t come all the way here to fall flat—lúlẹ̀,’” Soyinka recalled. “That man was Rotimi Amaechi. And I said to myself, this is what democracy looks like.”
In the 2022 APC presidential primary, Bola Tinubu emerged as the party’s flagbearer with 1,271 votes. Rotimi Amaechi came in second with 316 votes, while then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo finished third with 235 votes.
Soyinka’s remarks come as a rare but pointed commentary on internal party democracy and political integrity, and they offer a broader reflection on the values that underpin leadership in Nigeria’s democratic process.