Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has announced his intention to reapply for his United States permanent residency following the conviction of former US President Donald Trump,leadership reports.
LEADERSHIP reports that Trump, who is attempting a return to the presidency, was convicted on 35 charges related to falsifying business records to conceal payments made to Stormy Daniels. The former president is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.
Soyinka, a long-time critic of Trump’s Republican ideologies, had vowed to destroy his US green card in 2016 if Trump won the presidency against Hillary Clinton. Following Trump’s conviction, Soyinka stated that he is considering reapplying for his green card.
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“Seeing that this personal gesture attracted such attention at the time, let me answer the question before it is asked: Yes, I may choose to apply for the restoration of my Permanent Residence card, known as the Green Card. Possibly,” Soyinka said.
Soyinka described the court’s verdict against Trump as a sign of a new era of democracy. “For millions in anguished parts of the world, certainly for us in vast swathes of the African continent, this is daybreak on a new democratic promise. The warning is clear; sooner or later, the clamour of equity breaks down the stoutest gates guarding the citadel of impunity.
“The Trump debacle is also a challenge, a call to preparedness and steadfastness. Installed and putative fascisms – secular, military, or theocratic – will take only the wrong lessons from this, tightening their grip in self-protection.
“It is ‘Not yet Uhuru,’ not anywhere close for humanity in our global village. Nonetheless, a celebration, albeit in a minor key, is justified,” Soyinka added.
