Veteran singer and social activist Charles Oputa, known as Charly Boy, has sparked controversy following remarks about the mental health of Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram accounts on Monday, Charly Boy advised Nigerians to view Soyinka’s statements and actions with caution, suggesting that the Nobel laureate might be experiencing brain deterioration due to his advanced age.
Charly Boy expressed concern over Soyinka’s recent rhetoric and behaviors, attributing them to potential age-related cognitive decline. He criticized Soyinka’s family and close associates for not protecting him from opportunistic politicians who might exploit his condition for their own gain. Charly Boy emphasized the need for vigilance among Nigerians to prevent the misuse of Soyinka’s health condition for political purposes.
“Prof. Wole Soyinka is aged over 80 years, even tending towards 90 years. For his age, some level of brain deterioration is not unexpected. His rhetoric and actions in recent times suggest deteriorating brain disease, and as such, he shouldn’t be taken too seriously,” Charly Boy wrote. “What we should be worried about, as well-meaning Nigerians, is how his family and close friends can’t ward off agents of desperate politicians who are bent on exploiting his medical situation to their advantage, no matter how low it sinks the once respected Nobel laureate.”
The comments drew significant backlash from netizens, who found the statement insulting. Instagram user #Phorlarjuwon questioned Charly Boy’s contributions to the nation, accusing him of having no positive impact. “As a lost man that you are, I think you can do better than this… As a manwoman, what have you personally contributed to the betterment of the nation? I guess nothing. Now we know who needs to visit a physician,” Phorlarjuwon wrote.
Another Instagram user, #Vesterz011, commented, “I hope when you get to that age, you can handle this kind of message, because it’s definitely coming back.”
On X, user #Quakes9ja, tweeting as Kweku Elenitoba-Johnson, urged others to address the substance of Charly Boy’s claims rather than resorting to insults. “Address the man’s claims first before you rain abuse on him,” he wrote.
Another follower suggested that Charly Boy could have made his point without insults, noting the influential role he plays. “I think you could have made your point without insults; people look up to you. We can de-escalate a volatile situation if we really want to keep our eyes on the ball. Social media insults won’t achieve that. Mobilize people in a way that works; votes will not be counted based on social media insults and posts. Peace,” the follower advised.
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