By: Sefiu Ajape
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has commended the renaming of the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, after Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, describing him as eminently qualified for the honour.
MURIC’s endorsement was contained in a statement issued on Thursday, October 2, 2025, by its Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement noted that the national monument, first opened in 1976 during the regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo, was officially renamed on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
“We fully endorse this action. Professor Wole Soyinka deserves the honour a hundred times over as there is no living Nigerian who has struggled for and promoted democratic ideals like him in this country,” Akintola said.
He described Soyinka as a globally acknowledged intellectual and activist “whose resilience is bottomless, whose ability to mobilise and strategize is legendary, and whose courage has remained unmatched.”
Akintola emphasized that the endorsement was not borne out of religious sentiment but a recognition of Soyinka’s sacrifices for democracy.
“The fact that he is not a Muslim like us should not stop us from giving our testimony. It should not always be about religion. Humanity also matters. Besides, we must also answer the call of conscience,” he said.
Recalling MURIC’s encounter with Soyinka during the June 12, 1993 protests, Akintola narrated how his presence on the streets of Lagos inspired demonstrators resisting the annulment of the election.
“His appearance was electrifying. A new dose of motivation was immediately injected into our veins. We hailed him as he gave further instructions. No police vehicle passed the zone that day without being welcomed with a barrage of pebbles,” he recounted.
MURIC further highlighted Soyinka’s fearless confrontations with successive military regimes, including Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Sanni Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar, as well as corrupt civilian administrations.
Akintola also referenced Soyinka’s audacious actions, including storming a radio station in Ibadan to disrupt a live broadcast by Chief Ladoke Akintola and establishing Radio Kudirat abroad to counter military propaganda.
“Such was Soyinka, a fearless and exemplary leader. A generalissimo primus inter pareil. Who else deserves getting the National Theater renamed after him except Soyinka the lion heart?” he declared.
MURIC congratulated Soyinka on the recognition and commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it called “marksmanship” in honouring the literary icon.
