Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on
Thursday dismissed claims that he had endorsed some politicians as his
presidential and governorship candidates ahead of the February
elections.
Soyinka, in a piece titled, ‘Identity
Thieves and the 2015 Election Peace Accord,’ warned those spreading the
rumour of his purported endorsement of candidates “to be less gullible,
and avoid becoming cheap conduits for the deception industry.”
He said, “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.”
Reacting to the peace pact signed by
President Goodluck Jonathan and Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) on
Wednesday to ensure violence-free polls, Soyinka said he was impressed
with the outcome of the meeting. He described the pact as a “positive step in the direction of democracy.”
He commended the efforts of a former
Secretary-General of the United Nation, Kofi Annan, and a former
Secretary-General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, in ensuring the
success of the accord.
The Nobel Laureate said if the peace
pact was adhered to with sincerity, it would ensure a wholesome space
for future elections and avert further violence. “It might even come close to what the
democratic ideal should be, as canvassed by others, including Governor
Babatunde Fashola a few years ago,” Soyinka added.
He, however, said he was disappointed
that the communiqué issued after the peace meeting made no reference to
the victims of political violence. He said, “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. “I take a less serious – indeed, near
carnivalesque view of the opportunistic and sometimes de-contextualised
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!”
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