The campaign website of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has little information to defend his 19 years as FIDE president and even less about what he would do for the next four years. It has no policy, only vague promises that are the same as the ones he makes every four years and never fulfills. It has no accurate accounting of real federation support in this election. The site has no information about the members on his own ticket! Its content is in two categories: 1) Reports of “working visits” in which Ilyumzhinov campaigns around the world while pretending it is official business so FIDE pays all the expenses. 2) Attacks on Garry Kasparov and his team, often personal and always including many fictional elements.
That they are relying on such tricks shows how desperate they are. If Ilyumzhinov had half the support he claims he could run an honest campaign! If he is winning easily, why so many obvious lies?
It is more correct to speak of Ilyumzhinov’s websites, not just the “official” one, because it has been obvious from the beginning that the same people also run the vile and amateurish attack sites that do nothing but make up lies and insults. Nothing about his record, nothing about the future, only cheap and false attacks and myths about his support. Even his slogan, “FIDE First” reveals how his FIDE gives orders to the federations and takes from them instead of supporting them. “Federations First” is correct!
The latest example is an article attacking the many brave federations in Africa that have united to support Garry Kasparov, Afrika Msimang, and the entire Kasparov team. No doubt Ilyumzhinov’s team were shaken by our publishing real numbers and real letters of support showing Team Kasparov’s advantage in Africa. But this time, instead of just the usual insults and lies, they accused one of Garry Kasparov’s earliest and most impressive supporters, Olalekan Adeyemi, President of the Nigeria Chess Federation, of supporting Ilyumzhinov! The man who co-authored this tremendous letter of support for change and for Kasparov! Here is part of what appeared on Ilyumzhinov’s website:
We provide that screen capture image because they have since deleted many of the lies in the original story, but don’t worry, we are watching closely! In fact, you can download a copy of the entire original page here before they changed it if you enjoy reading cheap fiction. This is their desperate tactic. Spread lies, throw mud, and hope some of it sticks. When caught, maybe delete it and hope nobody notices but the rumor circulates. They expect no consequences? They expect the federations to accept this criminally low level of behavior? No! Not in Africa and not in the World and not in the new FIDE that is coming.
Lekan lost no time in responding:
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My attention was drawn to a publication on FIDE FIRST, the campaign website of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov yesterday 09 July 2014 titled “Kasparov in Africa-Hope Dashed” where it was mentioned that I, Olalekan Adeyemi, President and delegate of Nigeria Chess Federation publicly declared support for Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in the forthcoming FIDE Presidential elections.
This is to inform the entire Chess family that I did not make such declaration; neither did I make any statement during the visit of the FIDE President to Nigeria. For the avoidance of doubt, Nigeria Chess Federation was amongst the first Federations to declare support for GM Garry Kasparov! I hereby reaffirm our strong support for Garry Kasparov and his team in the forthcoming FIDE elections in Tromso.
Thank you.
Lekan Adeyemi
President, Nigeria Chess Federation
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Strong words from a strong man. Team Kasparov has the truth on our side, and we also have the sponsorship and the votes! No need for lies here.
[ UPDATE: 09:45, JULY 11, 2014 ]
The fictions and stories about Ilyumzhinov’s visit to Nigeria have continued, now on the official FIDE.com site that Ilyumzhinov’s campaign uses It’s interesting that all of the sites use the same phrases and photos…
Lekan Adeyemi: “I was also informed this morning that they put up another story on the FIDE website claiming that issues concerning our preparation and participation at the Olympiad was discussed during the visit of the FIDE President. I hereby inform that it is absolute falsehood. Nothing about our preparation and participation of our teams at the Olympiad were discussed. All arrangements about the participation of our teams at the Olympiad was already concluded before the visit of the FIDE President to Nigeria.”
