Mixed reactions as Wole Soyinka center steps down Osinbajo’s integrity award

Divergent reactions have continued to trail the postponement of the presentation of an Integrity Award to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).

In a thread of tweets via its Twitter handle, WSCIJ said it took the decision following last Friday’s invasion of the Federal High Court, Abuja by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) to rearrest the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore.

Osinbajo was slated to receive the award as part of the 2019 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting holding on Monday night in Lagos.

Reacting to the announcement, some Nigerians on Twitter have taken to the comment section of the center’s tweet to express divergent opinions.

Tise Somide questioned why Osinbajo was considered for the award.

She tweeted:

What! I'm shocked at this. In these times, there is no other person to be bestowed with this award than the Vice President. I'm disappointed with the Wole Soyinka Centre for not upholding their pact in giving the Vice President the honour he deserves. Shame on y'all

— Tise Somide (@JayTise) 9 December 2019

That you considered him in the first place is worrisome.

— Mo (@Mobolanle) 9 December 2019

Some were, however, of the opinion that the Vice President deserves the award, arguing that there was no basis for the postponement.

@LAgbene tweeted:

This really hot me,we don't deserve this Man how sensitive he is to the plight of Nigerians regardless he deserves it for showing this level care towards the citizen pic.twitter.com/OK45B6tFwa

— #De-General (@Ibmojotu99) 9 December 2019

@avrijohn also tweeted:

I honestly don’t feel it is right. We are just attacking the wrong person. Postponing the award doesn’t affect or move the principal. Looking at Osinbajo’s precedence, he actually deserves the award.

— Avri Johnson (@avrijohn) 9 December 2019

See other reactions:

Thank you for the decision.
However, it should be outright cancelation not rejection.
We'll keep watching.
.@ProfOsinbajo has traded our democracy and Constitution has no iota of integrity in him, not anymore. #WSAIR2019 #Sowore #FreeSoworeAlready #FreeSoworeNow #FreeSowore

— Oluwatobiloba (@amazingtobi) 9 December 2019

How did you guys arrive at the conclusion to award him initially? What exactly has he done in the last one year that is deserving of any award?

— Normofe (@Normofe) 9 December 2019

He really deserve the award,but even without it Osinbajo is still a man of integrity, he's been and still so amazing to Nigerians and Nigeria.

— sweetj (@JoyLydia10) 9 December 2019

The VP is so unbothered oo if you like give him the award or not, dosent make him less than who he is! if he wasnt fit for that award am sure you guys wouldnt have called him, his integrity will keep speaking regardless.

— LocalGirlIsFine (@LocalGirlIsFine) 9 December 2019