Fact-Check: Claim That Wole Soyinka Used Okada in Abeokuta Because of Fuel Crisis is Misleading 

Claim: An X user, @CrownprinceCom2, shared a post and claimed that Wole Soyinka left the Ake Centre in Abeokuta on an Okada because he was struggling to buy fuel at ₦1500 per litre.

Verdict: Misleading

Full Story:

The 39th annual Lisabi Festival began on March 23 and concluded on March 28, 2026, at the Ake Palace. The grand finale, themed “Egbaliganza 2026″, attracted prominent Egba sons and daughters, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun, and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka.

Less than a month after the event, a viral video surfaced online showing Soyinka leaving the event, riding a motorcycle (Okada) on the streets of Abeokuta. The clip was widely shared with claims that he resorted to using a bike due to the high cost of fuel.

A closer look at the video showed Soyinka was surrounded by commercial motorcyclists and being guided by an official of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps. He was also acknowledged by onlookers who recognised him. At one point, he signalled to a rider and mounted the motorcycle.

However, the footage does not establish where he was heading or why he chose that mode of transport.

As of the time of investigation of the claim, the post has gained traction with 62 thousand views, 696 likes and has been reshared 459 times and has more than 163 reactions.

See the screenshot of the video below

Meanwhile, the post elicited varied reactions from those who doubted the claim and those who proposed different reasons he could have chosen to take a bike for a ride.

@Alabsof_cape said, “This one is just another viral exaggeration or outright fabrication meant to stir reactions, and this kind of thing always shows up more during election periods.”

@CasmirImo believed the claim and said it served Soyinka well because he supported Tinubu’s government

What is the truth of this post? NDRFactcheck investigated it.

Verification

Checks confirm that Soyinka attended the Egbaliganza 2026 grand finale, as we traced the full video of the grand finale to a YouTube page, SplashFm1055.

However, further investigation shows that the viral video has been reposted across multiple platforms, each attaching different and often conflicting explanations for his decision to ride an Okada.

Some posts, including King Tunde Ednut on Instagram and Muhammed Abubakar Sadiq on Facebook, and a YouTuber linked the act to fuel scarcity and economic hardship, suggesting he could not fuel his vehicles.

Others, including  Ayekooto Akindele’s Facebook page, framed it as a symbolic gesture. A more plausible account circulating online suggests that Soyinka used the motorcycle for a short distance to connect with his driver and vehicle parked somewhere around the venue.

This explanation aligns with common, practical reasons such as avoiding congestion, navigating restricted areas, or covering a short distance quickly.

Conclusion

While it is confirmed that Wole Soyinka was seen riding an Okada in Abeokuta, there is no credible evidence that he did so because he could not afford fuel at ₦1500 per litre.

While no credible evidence supports that assertion, more credible assertions show that Prof. Wole Soyinka used the okada to transit to where his vehicle and driver were stationed around the Ake Palace venue of the event.

The claim that Prof. Wole Soyinka used the okada because of the high cost of fuel is, therefore, misleading.

.

Please follow and like us: