Identity Thieves And The 2015 Election Peace click aderemiakinbo.blogspot.com
Accord - Wole Soyinka.
It was with high expectations that I have gone
through the details of the Abuja peace accord
recently agreed by the political party leaders,
mandating decent and civilized campaign conduct
among the contestants, their agents and supporters.
I was not disappointed. It is a positive step in the
direction of democracy, for which I must commend
the efforts of those seasoned interventionists, Emeka
Anyaoku and Kofi Annan. Adhered to with good will
and sincerity, it should ensure a wholesome space
for future elections, and pre-empt further violence. It
might even come close to what the democratic ideal
should be, as canvassed by others, including
Governor Fashola a few years ago – a people’s
fiests!
From personal interest however, I was disappointed
that the communiqué makes no reference to the
violence done to members of the electorate whose
identities are stolen, abused and debased during
this exercise. It is rapidly becoming commonplace
to encounter totally fictitious statements, even entire
interviews published and attributed to unsuspecting
authorship. This criminal proceeding has even
involved the cloning of media mastheads to which
non-existent interviews are then attached. To render
it in local parlance, this is political 419, and of the
most despicable brand.
While it would be unjust to place direct
responsibility on the contestants, one must stress
that they also have a moral responsibility to
denounce these dirty tricksters in the strongest
terms, even in their own interest. The resentment
inspired in victims of such cowardly conduct cannot
but impact on their own political image. The media
must also protect itself by taking necessary
measures against such unprincipled confusionists.
It is the democratic right of every citizen to know
exactly who is saying what on issues that affect
their political choices.
Let me thus seize the occasion of the Abuja accord
to state categorically that I have never made a
statement endorsing any presidential or
governorship contestant. All such attributions are
fabrications by faceless, often self-appointed agents
of deception, and should be publicly pilloried.
Whenever I choose to declare support for a
candidate - as is my electoral right - I shall ensure
that I deploy a medium that places my authorship
beyond dispute. Internet habituees, Social Network
etc are urged to be less gullible, and avoid
becoming cheap conduits for the deception
industry!
I take a less serious – indeed, near carnivalesque -
view of the opportunistic, and sometimes de-
contextualized use of genuine quotes from
statements I have made in the past – that is a
different matter entirely. As a non-pensioned writer
however, and thus dependent on the proceeds of
intellectual property, such users should expect to
hear from my Literary Agents.
I join General Abdulsalami and others in hoping that
2015 prove a live-and-learn election year, not a do-
or-die!
Wole SOYINKA
