Jaye Lo: Reno Omokri tackles Soyinka, asks Davido to apologise
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By Adam Mosadioluwa
Reno Omokri, a former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged popular Afrobeat artist, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, to tender an apology to some Muslims who are requesting that he apologise over an alleged offensive video clip posted on his social media pages last week.
Recall that the DMW owner had posted a 45-second long video clip of his signee, Logos Olori’s new song, ‘Jaye Lo,’ on Friday, July 21, promoting the song ahead of the official release. The video caused controversy as it portrayed men dressed as praying mallams, dancing in front of a mosque in a scene, rather than engaging in prayer.
Tribune Online reports that the ‘Fem’ crooner, after coming under heavy criticism, bowed to pressure and deleted the video on Monday.
Reacting to the call for an apology from the Singer, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka said that no apology should be offered by Davido, adding that dancing in front of a mosque is not an act of provocation, insisting that it is an “affirmation of the unified sensibility of the spiritual in human.”
Reno Omokri has, however, countered Soyinka’s stand and insisted that the artist needs to apologise for peace to reign and put the matter to an end.
According to him, Soyinka being an atheist lack the moral justification to offer such advice, adding that it will be unwise for the ‘Fem’ crooner to listen to him.
In a lengthy post on his Twitter page today, he wrote, “It would be very unwise for Davido to take the counsel of an atheist like Professor Wole Soyinka, who is telling him he owes no apology to Muslims, over the video for the song jaye lo. This is a man who does not believe in God. How can he then know how people who believe in God feel?
Islam belongs to Muslims, who assert that they received it from God. It is not for an atheist, a Christian, or any practitioner of another religion other than Islam to tell them how to feel when their faith is used in ways they disapprove of.
“Is this not the same Professor Wole Soyinka who, just two weeks ago, on July 7, 2023, condemned the Emir of Ilorin for stopping an Osun priestess, Yeye Ajesikemi Omolara, from holding an Isese festival in Ilorin, and demanded redress for Osun worshippers? So, why is he now against redress for Muslims?”
He ended the post with these words, “Deleting the offending video is a first step for which I commend Davido. Apologising will put the matter to an end and assuage the hurt feelings of the Muslim Ummah.
“An elder should be known for putting out fires, not for adding fuel to flames. We need peaceful religious coexistence in Nigeria. We do not need religious rivalry.”
