The culture of peddling half-truths and outright falsehoods, which was and still is, prevalent in the traditional media in Nigeria and which went largely unchallenged on account of limited access to media facilities, has crept onto most Internet platforms with bias for information about Nigeria. Thus "Icons", "symbols" and "heroes" of various hues are being created on daily basis.
This is more pronounced in Literature where a few shallow (Njakiri) reviews would transform a third rate Nigerian writer member of the "circle", hawking his/her books on the backstreets abroad into "an established writer", with some awards to booth.
Like in the era before Internet, the reading public is expected to accept these half-truths and outright falsehoods as historical facts.
--------CAO.
Publisher At PublicInformationProjects
From: Olabode Ibironke <ibironke@msu.edu>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 9:24 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Kongi Roars....: Goodluck Jonathan's Gift Horse By Wole Soyinka
that the results were withheld does not mean the elections were not conclusive in themselves or that the government and public do not know for sure who the winner was, which is what "presumed" implies. the world knows who the winner was but the results remain unofficial until they are pronounced by the right authorities. you know all this but seems you are playing games here, my friend--
On 5/31/12 1:09 PM, Chidi Anthony Opara wrote:--"Jonathan must release the June 12 election results now! I can predict that in another decade if not sooner, some folks would be telling us Nzeribe had a court injunction against the elections and the elections were never held talk-less produce a winner, that there were no elections on that date! The June 12 election results must be officially declassified, now!"
-----Bode.
Bode,
You guys amaze me, in one sentence, you said "Jonathan must release the June 12 election results now!", in another, you talked about "a winner". Just like this from Madam Ayo Obe, "At best, one can say that the election was not carried to its logical conclusion when Ibrahim Babangida annulled it". Haba!
------CAO.
Publisher At PublicInformationProjects
From: Olabode Ibironke <ibironke@msu.edu>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 5:43 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Kongi Roars....: Goodluck Jonathan's Gift Horse By Wole Soyinka
Jonathan must release the June 12 election results now! I can predict that in another decade if not sooner, some folks would be telling us Nzeribe had a court injunction against the elections and the elections were never held talk-less produce a winner, that there were no elections on that date! The June 12 election results must be officially declassified, now!--
Bode
On 5/31/12 12:23 PM, Chidi Anthony Opara wrote:--"The Elections were inconclusive? Meaning that the president-elect was prevented from assuming office? The elections in themselves were conclusive, the collation and counting of ballot were conclusive, the results were announced locally in each precinct but the final and formal announcement of the winner at the national level was subverted. The electoral commission supplied the final results that would have been announced at the federal court in Kaduna. these are the historical facts. but if you mean we do not know if Abiola was elect because the elections were inconclusive, then, you would be taking the side of Abacha and those who annulled the elections. To presume he won puts a question mark on his victory. You cannot question his victory and honor that victory in the breath."---------Bode.Oh my goodness, I've just had to extract some of the results to counter the astonishing assertion elsewhere that Abiola got less than 40% of the votes in the SW, whereas his share never fell below 80% in the SW.Launching his book "Laying the Foundation for Nigeria's Democracy: My Account of the June 12th, 1993 Election and its Annulment" Prof Humphrey Nwosu gave the correct figures which are reproduced for each of the 30 states and the FCT in the book itself, so it is wrong to describe the election as 'inconclusive' as though there were some doubt about the figures. At best, one can say that the election was not carried to its logical conclusion when Ibrahim Babangida annulled it.
------AyoBode, Ayo,Elections are inconclusive if the results(whole), for any reasons, were not announced by those who ought to announce them, in the manners they ought to be announced and at the times they ought to be announced. Abiola was never a President-elect. I dare any historian to prove me wrong. The best any historian can say would be that he would have won had the election been concluded.------CAO.Publisher At PublicInformationProjects
From: Ayo Obe <ayo.m.o.obe@gmail.com>
To: "usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com" <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 3:18 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Kongi Roars....: Goodluck Jonathan's Gift Horse By Wole Soyinka
--Oh my goodness, I've just had to extract some of the results to counter the astonishing assertion elsewhere that Abiola got less than 40% of the votes in the SW, whereas his share never fell below 80% in the SW.
Launching his book "Laying the Foundation for Nigeria's Democracy: My Account of the June 12th, 1993 Election and its Annulment" Prof Humphrey Nwosu gave the correct figures which are reproduced for each of the 30 states and the FCT in the book itself, so it is wrong to describe the election as 'inconclusive' as though there were some doubt about the figures. At best, one can say that the election was not carried to its logical conclusion when Ibrahim Babangida annulled it.
AyoI invite you to follow me on Twitter @naijamaThe Elections were inconclusive? meaning that the president-elect was prevented from assuming office? The elections in themselves were conclusive, the collation and counting of ballot were conclusive, the results were announced locally in each precinct but the final and formal announcement of the winner at the national level was subverted. The electoral commission supplied the final results that would have been announced at the federal court in Kaduna. these are the historical facts. but if you mean we do not know if Abiola was elect because the elections were inconclusive, then, you would be taking the side of Abacha and those who annulled the elections. To presume he won puts a question mark on his victory. You cannot question his victory and honor that victory in the breath.
Bode
The June 12th 1993 Presidential election was inconclusive, that is a historical fact, nothing can change that fact.--------CAO.
Publisher At PublicInformationProjects
From: Kennedy Emetulu <kemetulu@googlemail.com>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 3:45 AM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Kongi Roars....: Goodluck Jonathan's Gift Horse By Wole Soyinka
..I have no qualms saying without fear of contradiction that Professor Wole Soyinka is wrong on matters of fact here, even while entitled to his opinion about President Goodluck Jonathan's choice of what to honour Abiola with. Of course, it is a gaffe for Jonathan to refer to Abiola as "presumed winner" of the June 12th 1993 election, but further reading of the statement's summation on Abiola makes clear that the President was not insulting the man. Soyinka at best is making a minor point and at worse, nitpicking.As for facts, let the legalists he refers to come out to show us the law that compels President Jonathan, the university Visitor, to consult the university Council or Senate over a change of name. Merely accusing the President of disrespect will not do. As far as I'm concerned, it is more disrespectful not to honour Abiola at all than honouring him with a gaffe in tow.It's false to call the exercise of a discretionary power arbitrary when the exercise hurts no one. It certainly is not true to equate this with "military governance", because President Jonathan lawfully exercised powers bestowed on him by our laws under a democracy and he has not hurt anyone in exercising these powers.Prof Soyinka wants the University of Lagos to go to court, backed by other universities, with a view to asking for what he described rather dramatically as 'a stay of execution'. Well, if the legalists he depends on are sincere, they will tell Professor Soyinka and whoever supports his idea that they would be laughed out of court. I recommend they take a look at Section 15 (2) of the University of Lagos Act, the law they are depending on, to know that they stand no chance. Here is what that Section 15(2) of the University of Lagos Act says:"The decision of the Visitor on any matter referred to him under this section shall be binding upon the authorities, staff and students of the University, and where any question as to the meaning of any provision of a statute has been decided by the visitor under this section, no question as to the meaning of that provision shall be entertained by any court of law in Nigeria: Provided that nothing in this subsection shall affect any power of a court of competent jurisdiction to determine whether any provision of a statute is wholly or partly void as being ultra vires or as being inconsistent with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999".Of course, all this talk about naming some stadium after Abiola because he was "Pillar of Sports" is actually what should be considered insulting, because sports was not the most important thing in the eclectic man's life and certainly it was not what he is most remembered for today or what he died for. Like Professor Soyinka, Jonathan has a right to his preferences with regard to how he wants to immortalize Abiola; but it's only Jonathan that has the constitutional power as President to exercise his choice. He's done so lawfully and everyone should leave it at that and focus on something else.I'm happy Prof Soyinka has revealed how he deplored and still deplores the change of name of the then University of Ife to Obafemi Awolowo University. A quarter of a century after, that decision stands; but there's no record of anyone going on a rampage or blocking a bridge to show their disagreement with that decision. So, let us accept this very one in the same way. That is enlightenment – the propriety of accepting a lawfully made decision, even where we disagree with it.…
On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 10:12 PM, Ikhide <xokigbo@yahoo.com> wrote:
"This is one gift horse which, contrary to traditional saying, must be inspected thoroughly in the mouth.
Primary from all of us must be a plea to the MKO Abiola family not to misconstrue the protests against the naming of the University of Lagos after their heroic patriarch. Issues must be separated and understood in their appropriate contexts. The family will acknowledge that, among the loudest opposing voices to Jonathan's gift horse, are those who have clamoured tirelessly that MKO Abiola, the Nigerian nation's president-elect, be honoured nationally, and in a befitting manner.
Next is my confession to considerable shock that President Goodluck Jonathan did not even think it fit to consult or inform the administrators of the university, including Council and Senate, of his intention to re-name their university for any reason, however laudable. This arbitrariness, this act of disrespect, was a barely tolerated aberration of military governance. It is totally deplorable in what is supposed to be a civilian order."
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