Nobel Laureate and iconic Nigerian playwright, Professor Wole Soyinka, has revealed a striking act of defiance from Nigeria’s turbulent political past—publicly spitting on a national honour conferred on him by a former military regime.

Speaking in a candid and powerful interview on Channels Television, Soyinka recounted how he rejected the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) medal awarded to him by former military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, during a pro-democracy protest march.

“I had brought along my Nigerian CFR. I threw it on the ground and spat on it,” Soyinka stated, describing the moment as a symbolic rejection of dictatorship and a declaration of solidarity with Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement.

While acknowledging that he had accepted the award at the time it was issued, Soyinka explained that the circumstances had left him with little choice.

“I didn’t reject the one in the past. I was ambushed. I had no option, so I accepted it,” he said, noting that the honour was presented to him at the airport during a public reception following his Nobel Prize win in 1986.

The literary icon revealed that he had anticipated state interference in the protest and made a calculated decision to use the national honour as a tool of resistance.

“One of the uses of these honors is that there comes a day when you can throw it back and use it as a weapon by declaring that you no longer want the honor,” he said.

Recalling the tension of that day, Soyinka emphasized the deliberate nature of his protest. “Somehow, I had a fear earlier on that the march would be prevented. And so I had brought along my Nigerian CFR… I threw it on the ground and spat on it,” he reiterated.

Adding a touch of humour to the dramatic episode, he told his interviewer, “As I said at the time on BBC, there was something I wanted to do, but I didn’t want to be accused of indecent exposure. So, I limited myself to just marching it.”

Soyinka’s revelation underscores not just his long-standing resistance to authoritarianism, but also his belief in the transformative power of personal symbols, including state-issued honours. His story provides a rare glimpse into the personal cost and courage behind Nigeria’s long struggle for democracy, and serves as a reminder of the role that artists and intellectuals can play in moments of national crisis.