This study examines the intersection of satire, dictatorial leadership, and the abuse of political power in Kongi’s Harvest by Wole Soyinka. Situating the play within the broader context of postcolonial African political realities, the paper explores how satire functions as both an artistic and political tool for critiquing authoritarian governance. Drawing on theoretical insights from Michel Foucault, Northrop Frye, and Frantz Fanon, the study interrogates the mechanisms through which power is constructed, maintained, and resisted in the play. The analysis reveals that Soyinka employs irony, exaggeration, symbolism, and ritual inversion to expose the contradictions of post-independence leadership, particularly the transformation of revolutionary ideals into authoritarian practices. The character of Kongi embodies the archetype of the postcolonial dictator who manipulates cultural institutions, controls political narratives, and suppresses opposition in order to consolidate power. Through the appropriation of the New Yam Festival, the play dramatizes the symbolic usurpation of both political and cultural authority. By focusing on the symbolic significance of ritual, leadership performance, and political theatre, the study contributes to ongoing debates on the relationship between literature and political authority in postcolonial African societies. Soyinka’s plays, situated at the intersection of art and activism, exemplify how literature can serve as both artistic expression and moral intervention in contexts of political crisis.
Keywords: Kongi’s Harvest, Satire, Wole Soyinka, abuse of power, dictatorial leadership, postcolonial Nigeria
