Protest against Military Regime in Wole Soyinka’s King Baabu

Abstract

This paper identifies some issues related to military regime in Nigeria and Wole Soyinka’s protest against them, as dramatized in King Baabu (2001). Soyinka evokes his people to revolt against the antidemocratic tendencies and the manipulation of army leaders who attempt to control and contain the public through various means in order to remain in power. The paper discusses Soyinka’s revolt and protest against the authoritative power which have become explicit, direct, and continuous as the only means to bring about a positive change and to curb the corruption of the military dictatorship or to make this phenomenon controllable. Protest has assisted Nigeria to turn to democracy after the death of Sani Abacha (b. 1943) in 1998, mainly because of the opposition activists and the protesting voices. Soyinka has emphasized that the end of a tyrant like King Baabu is miserable and disgusting, which is contrasted to the strength of the rebels, a message that Soyinka wants his audience to understand in order to establish civilian rule and democracy. The paper concludes on Soyinka’s note of victory of the protesters against their tyrant, a revolutionary spirit to call people to bring back what belongs to them and drive away what threatens their peace.