Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has described US President Donald Trump as a “mean dictator” whose rule worsened racial tensions and encouraged hate-fuelled violence in the US.
In an interview with BBC News Pidgin on Wednesday, Soyinka said Trump’s presidency exposed what he called the “dark side” of the United States and emboldened acts of hate, especially against minorities.
“This is a petty dictator. You see how he deals with his objects of hate,” Soyinka said.
“We saw that dark side of the American side. There were more murders, extrajudicial killings by the police of black people, of minorities, during that preparation, during the campaign, and because of the hateful rhetoric, the hateful rhetoric of this individual,” he added.
Soyinka noted that Trump’s campaign rhetoric helped normalize hate speech and created a culture of intolerance with lasting consequences.
He recalled predicting Trump’s hostility toward immigrants before taking office. “I saw it and I said, listen very carefully, and you can go and check this out, I said, ‘When that man comes to power, the first thing he’s going to do is cancel even the green cards,’” he said.
Soyinka, known for his criticism of authoritarian leaders, said the Trump administration reflected a deep moral and cultural decline in American society, especially in its treatment of minorities.
This comes amid diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the United States over the alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, which led to the designation of the West African nation as a “country of particular concern” by President Trump.
Online tribune It also reports that Trump, in a post on his Truth Social account a few days ago, ordered the US War Department to prepare for possible actions in Nigeria.
He accused the Nigerian government of turning a blind eye to what he described as killings of Christians across the country.
Trump warned that the United States would immediately suspend all aid and assistance to Nigeria if attacks on Christians continue.
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