By Milcah Tanimu

Renowned playwright and novelist, Professor Wole Soyinka, has hailed the verdict on former U.S. president Donald Trump as the dawn of a new democratic era. Soyinka emphasized that the verdict served as a clear warning, indicating that the demand for equity can overcome even the strongest barriers protecting the fortress of impunity.

Trump was convicted on Thursday of each of the 34 charges related to falsifying business records. Reacting to the situation in a Thursday statement, Soyinka mentioned the possibility of reapplying for his green card, given the focus on Trump’s conviction.

“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. Possibly,” Soyinka wrote.

He continued, “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 on guard across the citadel of impunity.”

Soyinka viewed Trump’s conviction as a challenge and a call to preparedness and steadfastness, warning that various forms of fascism—secular, military, or theocratic—might interpret the event in ways that justify self-protective crackdowns.

“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 concluded.