Former presidential aide and author, Reno Omokri has reacted to the advice given to Davido by Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka over the controversial music video of his artiste, Logos Olori.
Omokri told the Afrobeats star that he should not take the counsel of the literary icon who stated that he does not owe the Muslims an apology.
Recall that Davido posted a music video of the new record of his label artist, Logos Olori, on his Twitter page on Friday morning.
The 45-second clip videoshowed some people dressed in white clothes praying the way the Muslims do before launching into dancing.
However, some Nigerian Muslims, especially in the North, have found the video offensive and asked the music star to delete the video and apologise for his action.
Despite deleting the video forty-eight hours after it was posted, some Muslims are still demanding a public apology from Davido.
However, in a statement released on Tuesday, Soyinka advised Davido not to apologise for his actions, adding that the music star does not owe Muslims an apology.
Reacting to Soyinka’s comments, Omokri said it will be unwise if Davido listens to the advice of the literary icon because he is an atheist.
The ex-presidential aide said an atheist or a Christian cannot tell Muslims how to feel when their faith is used in ways they disapprove of.
Omokri, however, commended Davido for deleting the controversial video, saying that apologising will put the matter to an end and assuage the hurt feelings of the Muslim Ummah.
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 or 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?
“Nigerians need to remember that this is the same Wole Soyinka who, on May 8, 2023, boasted that Peter Obi apologised to him in person over the attacks on his person by Obidients. Yet, he is here counselling Davido not to apologise to Muslims over a video they consider sacrilegious.
“Christians have also previously taken offence with movies and music that, in our view, are sacrilegious about the person of our Lord and Saviour. These include the movies The First Temptation of Christ and The Last Temptation of Christ. We collectively boycotted these movies and demanded an apology and their recall.
“We were also upset when Mallam Nasir El-Rufai made a crude joke about our Lord and Saviour. How will we feel if a Muslim celebrity comes out to say we do not deserve any apology for those movies and jokes?
“In Mark 12:31, our Lord told us to love our neighbour as ourselves. Muslims are our neighbours. They joined us in condemning El-Rufai when he made his crude Jesus joke. They united with us in asking him to apologise. Under pressure from both Christians and Muslims, El-Rufai apologised.
“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.”
