Nigeria’s Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has reaffirmed his decision to exit the United States of America following the election of the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, in the recently concluded presidential elections in the United States of America.

Soyinka however did not disclose when he intends to quit America but stated that his decision was informed out of fear for what may likely happen to minority Americans should Donald Trump decides to live by the sentiments he harboured during his campaign period.

In his recent article, Soyinka envisaged Trump’s America as non-conducive for minority migrants and therefore opted to leave on temperamental grounds.

“The answers to all the foregoing can be summed up in a familiar expression: a life of environmental sanitation, or call it – sanity.

“My temperament requires a certain minimum level of environmental health to function properly. I use the word ’temperament’ as a historical fact, a personality development that first manifested itself all the way back to student days, and has remained consistent all my life,” he said.

According to him, “I was in New York during the run-up to elections. I watched this face, its body language, listened to his uncouth, racist language, his imbecillic harangues, the insults to other peoples, other races, especially the Hispanics, Africans and Afro-Americans, even citing once – I was told – Nigeria as an instance of the burdensome occupation of global space.

“I watched and listened, disbelievingly, since this was America, supposedly now freed to a large extent – as we like to believe and have a right to expect – from its lamentable history of racism.

He however said that his major concern was not only with the president-elect but his teaming followers.

“But I saw, not only this would-be president but – enthusing followers on populist a populist roll at the expense of minorities,” he said

•Text courtesy of Daily Trust. Photo shows Prof. Soyinka.

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