• If you had thought that reports from Nigeria saying the real president of the country, Muhammadu Buhari is dead and the current ruler is a clone from Sudan named Jubril is mere talk meant for the pubs and newspaper stands, then think again because 1986 Nobel Laureate Prize for Literature award recipient and iconic playwright, Professor Wole Soyinka has spoken about the reports on the clone president.

    You will recall that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu had accused the president of being a clone and has continued to share reasons for his assertion through his social media handles.

    Speaking to the audience at the 70th anniversary of human rights and worldwide reading for press freedom in memory of Jamal Khashoggi which was held at Freedom Park, Lagos, Professor Soyinka stressed on the need to take the issue of stolen identity serious.

    Careful not to say whether he believed the clone reports or not, Professor Soyinka said:

    “Recently, we have a situation in Nigeria and that is the issue of cloning President Muhammadu Buhari. We have people who have taken that issue seriously.

    “These were people that one can never believe to accept such considering their level of intelligence.

    “When Buhari went to Poland, I said what a coincidence because I hope while he was there, he will be able to sort-out his identity and there will be a report on the return of his identity.

    “Poland appears to be the centre for Nigerians settlers with stolen identity.”

    You will recall that while in Poland recently, someone had asked the Nigerian president what his thoughts were on the cloning reports.

    The president had responded by saying he was aware of the reports which began as a result of his long medical trip to the United kingdom earlier this year which lasted about three months.

    The president assured those present that he was the real Buhari and that he would celebrate his birthday soon and would be even stronger.

    Soyinka also used the opportunity to announce that there was someone in Poland who stole his identity, and upon discovery that his identity was being used in Poland, he visited the country and demanded that the page using his identity on Facebook be pulled down but to no avail.

    He added, “But he (operator of the business) refused, claiming that he has authority to do that. In my name, this fellow sells and buys things which I don’t even use.”

    “If we must fight for freedom of expression, we must fight for the correct attribution of expression. 

    “If the doctrine of freedom of expression was to be reversed, there will be certainly a number of issues to be addressed because expression on social media has taken a quantum leave in the last few years that cannot be imagined."

    What are your thoughts?

    Header Image Credit: Poetry Foundation Website