Presidency says #BringBackOurGirls campaigners plan to unseat Jonathan

The Presidency yesterday said its longstanding view that the agenda of the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners was confirmed on Wednesday with the presence of the movement’s leaders at the presidential declaration of Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, made the Presidency’s position known on his Twitter handle.

Buhari had at the Eagles Square, Abuja on Wednesday formally declared his intention to contest the 2015 presidential elections on the platform of the APC.

Some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) group also accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the brains behind the #BBOG campaigns allegedly to embarrass President Jonathan’s government.

The group claimed in a statement that the comment by Chief Audu Ogbeh to the effect that some leaders of the #BBOG campaigns are APC members confirmed the PDP position that the opposition are behind the campaigns.

“The atmosphere changed when the chairman of the Buhari campaign team and one time PDP National chairman, Chief Audu Ogbe, consciously spoke about the over 200 Nigerian girls that were abducted by the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents in Chibok, Northeastern Nigeria.

“The APC bigwig surprisingly put a lie to what the APC machinery had been telling the nation that it had nothing to do with the#BringBackOurGirls campaign because it regarded them as diversionary and counterproductive.

“He categorically mentioned that the campaign was led by members of the APC. The presence and public acknowledgement of the #BBOG campaigner Mrs. Hadiza Bala Usman, gave the audience the feeling that the #BBOG campaign was led by some prominent members of the APC,” the statement said.

Abati said the roles played by an activist, Dino Melaye, and the presence of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign initiator, Hadiza Bala Usman, at the declaration were proofs of their true aim, which is to politicise the abduction of the more than 200 Chibok girls.

He wrote, “Our longstanding view of BBOG movement’s hidden agenda to unseat the Jonathan administration received full justification yesterday (on Wednesday.)

“Roles played by Dino Melaye and the presence of BBOG’s initiator, Hadiza Bala Usman at Buhari’s declaration is proof of the true aim of politicising the agony of the Chibok girls and their families.

“This is now fully apparent, the true agenda and prime movers of BBOG movement.”

He wondered whether Usman’s presence at the declaration was a special recognition of work well done.