Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka plans to reapply for US permanent residency after Donald Trump’s conviction. Soyinka, who renounced his green card in 2016 over Trump’s election, views the verdict as a win for democracy and a call to challenge authoritarianism worldwide.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has announced his intention to reapply for his United States permanent residency following the conviction of former US President Donald Trump. Leadership reports that Trump, currently vying to return to the presidency, was convicted on 35 charges related to falsifying business records to conceal payments made to Stormy Daniels. Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
Soyinka, a long-time critic of Trump’s Republican ideologies, had famously destroyed his US green card in 2016 after Trump won the presidency over Hillary Clinton. In light of Trump’s recent legal troubles, Soyinka released a statement indicating his potential return to the US as a permanent resident.
“Seeing that this trite, personal gesture attracted such inordinate attention at the time, let me answer the question before it is asked: Yes, I may choose to apply for restoration of my card of Permanent Residence, known as the Green Card. Possibly,” Soyinka remarked.
Soyinka views the court’s verdict against Trump as a significant moment for democracy worldwide. “For millions in anguished parts of the world, certainly for us in vast swathes of the African continent, this is daybreak on a new democratic promise. The warning is clear; sooner or later, the clamor of equity breaks down the stoutest gates on guard across the citadel of impunity,” he stated.
He also called Trump’s conviction a challenge to entrenched powers, urging vigilance against various forms of authoritarianism. While acknowledging the ongoing struggle for global justice, Soyinka suggested that the verdict warrants cautious celebration.
