Today, July 13, 2020, emeritus professor Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka celebrates his 86th birthday. The first Nobel Prize winner in Africa, he is a famous playwright, poet, and essayist. He is also an activist and strong critic of successive Nigerian governments.

Contrary to the claims of some people, especially on this thread, the literary colossus doesn't worship Ogun, one of the traditional deities in Yorubaland, and there's no evidence that this claim is true.

In an interview with the Academy of Achievements in 2009, while answering a question about religion, he said: "I learned very early of traditional deities (of the) Yorùbá: Ogun, for instance, God of Iron, the Road, Poetry, et cetera; Shango, God of Lightning.

"I found the traditional religions far more fascinating, because they didn’t force me to go to the regular service and dress up and things like that. A bit more relaxed, more humanist in my view. But it didn’t mean that I didn’t like the other religions either. I was a member of the church choir quite early, because I liked music, and in any case, as a son of the headmaster who was also a deacon...

"I think both my parents tried too hard, so I rebelled quite early and found myself more attuned to a comparative approach to religions, comparative." Source

Furthermore, in his book, "Climate of Fear: The Quest for Dignity in a Dehumanized World", which was published in 2007, he explained, "I already had certain agnostic tendencies—which would later develop into outright atheistic convictions— so it was not that I believed in any kind of divine protection."

He considers Ogun as his Muse (a source of inspiration and patron) but doesn't worship or believe in him as God.

As a matter of fact, he's one of the foremost atheists and irreligionists in Nigeria and Africa.
CC: Seun, Mynd44, OAM4J

Soyinka himself is a god.......!

Ordinary Man....Priest....Chief Priest.....god.! (deity)

Nice try ...we know b4

Chris6music:
Nice try ...we know b4

Some people don't know or are being mischievous.

Irrelevant

So which one should we believe?

Onnasucs1:
So which one should we believe?

What the prof himself said, not what some online posters claim.

You can check the second link above to watch videos of one of his interview sessions, where he discussed his religious convictions.

Will post more updates later.

a key member of Ogboni confraternity

nairavsdollars:
a key member of Ogboni confraternity

You know their members?

gensteejay:

What the prof himself said, not what some online posters claim.

You can check the second link above to watch videos of one of his interview sessions, where he discussed his religious convictions.

Will post more updates later.

I've always believed that he is an atheist, until today when I saw that thread on front page

Onnasucs1:
I've always believed that he is an atheist, until today when I saw that thread on front page

That thread on front page is misinformation. He's one of the publicly known atheists/irreligionists in Nigeria.

That's not even news. Only the Indolmie generation of Nigerians may not know.

Everyone can just claim what they perceived without affirmation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hE9m0qC-Pk
CC: Onnasucs1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6CX9xWBij8

gensteejay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hE9m0qC-Pk
CC: Onnasucs1

Thanks man