Soyinka reconsiders US green card following Trump’s conviction

Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has hinted that he might restore his United States Green Card following the recent conviction of former President Donald Trump.

Soyinka, who had famously discarded his Green Card in 2016 as a protest against Trump’s election, lauded the conviction as a significant marker of democratic renewal. He stated that the legal proceedings against Trump underscore the resilience of American institutions and the necessity of holding leaders accountable.

Soyinka, addressing the public attention his 2016 gesture received, said, “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.”

Trump was convicted on Thursday on all 34 charges of falsifying business records to conceal a payment intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels.

Soyinka underscored the importance of vigilance against authoritarianism, noting that the verdict represents a step toward global equity and justice. He remarked that Trump’s conviction sends a powerful message about the strength of democracy and the rule of law, reinforcing the principle that no one is above the law.

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This development has prompted Soyinka to reconsider his decision about his US residency. The conviction has renewed his faith in the American judicial system and its commitment to upholding democratic values.

Soyinka’s potential application for the restoration of his Green Card signals his renewed trust in the United States as a bastion of democracy.

Background and Context

Wole Soyinka, a renowned Nigerian playwright, poet, and essayist, became the first African laureate to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986.

Known for his outspoken stance on political issues, Soyinka discarded his U.S. Green Card in November 2016 following the election of Donald Trump as President. This act was a symbolic protest against what he saw as the rise of authoritarianism and the undermining of democratic principles in the United States.

Also read: Trump: Convict on Presidential Ballot

Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, was recently convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. The conviction has been viewed by many as a reaffirmation of the strength and integrity of the American legal system, emphasising that even the highest offices are subject to the rule of law.

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