‘Ignore calls for apology’ — Soyinka defends Davido’s controversial video

Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate, has urged Davido not to apologise over the controversial music video of his newly signed artiste Logos Olori.

Davido promoted Logos Olori’s music video for ‘Jaye Lo’ on social media — shortly after the audio release on Friday.

In the clip, some men dressed in white Jalabiya could be seen dancing in front of a mosque.

The video triggered a wave of criticism — with many Muslim devotees calling for it to be pulled down.

Although Davido took down the video on Monday, some Muslims still demanded a public apology from the singer.

Joining the fray, Shehu Sani, the former senator, on Tuesday, called on the Afrobeats star to “engage his Muslim fans”.

“I am delighted to learn that Davido has deleted the controversial video from his handle, even though it can not be expunged from the cyberspace. The artiste should still find time to engage his Muslim fans. He remains one of Nigeria’s best global brands whose success is an inspiration to the younger generation and a source of national pride,” Sani wrote on Twitter.

But reacting to the post, Soyinka, in a statement, said Davido does not need to apologise.

The scholar, while taking a swipe at the judicial system, added that aggrieved individuals should “exercise their right of boycotting Davido’s products”.

Soyinka said although he is yet to watch the video, “dance is an integral part of worship in most religions, including Islam”.

“The following should not be needed, but we appear to inhabit a nation space where memory deficiency has become an accreditation badge of competence in national affairs. I recall my intervention, several years ago, in an attempt to pillory former Governor of Kaduna State, El Rufai over some comment he had made that was considered derogatory to followers of Christianity,” the statement reads in part.

“There was nothing to apologize about, and that applied equally to El Rufai’s comments at the time. I disagree with Shehu Sani for demanding an apology from Davido on behalf of the Moslem community.

“No apology is required, None should be offered. Let us stop battening down our heads in the mush of contrived contrition – we know where contrition, apology and restitution remain clamorous in the cause of closure and above all – justice. Such apologies have not been forthcoming. In their place, we have the ascendancy of petulant censorship in the dance and music department. Just where will it end?

“Let us learn to read it that way. Those who persist in taking offence to bed and serving it up as breakfast should exercise their right of boycotting Davido’s products no one quarrels with that right.

“It was not Davido’s music that lynched Deborah Yakubu, and continues to frustrate the cause of justice. Nor has it contributed to the arbitrary detention of religious dissenters call them atheists or whatever such as Mubarak Bala, now languishing in prison for his 38th month.”

Some youths recently took to the streets of Maiduguri, Borno state capital, to register their displeasure with Davido. They also set a large banner of the singer on fire.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) also called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to probe Davido.