BBOG‬ CAMPAIGNERS ARE APC MEMBERS – AUDU OGBEH

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All Progressives Congress, APC has confirmed its sponsorship of the Bring Back Our Girls, #BBOG campaigns whose activities have called to question the genuineness of the group’s intentions.

The campaign came into being following the kidnap of no fewer than 219 students from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State by members of the Boko Haram insurgency group months ago.

Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party and leading elder of the current main opposition APC, Chief Audu Ogbeh, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja when he told his audience at Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 presidential bid declaration that the #BBOG is led by members of the party.

Commending the campaigners and hailing them for sustaining global attention on the missing Chibok girls, Ogbeh said: “We send our greetings to the Chibok parents. We believe that one day they will be reunited with their children. We commend the Bring Back Our Girls movement led by members of our party for their commitment. They remain the only living witnesses that Nigeria still has a conscience.”

The APC leader underscored the foregoing by daring the Federal Government to arrest the #BBOG campaigners and “all of us.” The disclosure by Ogbeh has thrown up reactions from worried members of the public who wonder why a party that hopes to govern the country at the centre would be behind the #BBOG movement.

It would be recalled that the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, some days ago, described insurgency war as having more political undertones than a religious underpinning. The envoy made the statement while addressing journalists at a press conference convened at the American University of Nigerian (AUN) in Yola.

However, Ogbe’s speech was yesterday condemned by the former World Bank VP, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, who is a leader of the group.

She said on Twitter: “I take very strong exception to what is being credited to Mr. Audu Ogbe of APC. Another tragic low in making ‪#‎ChibokGirls‬ political pawns.

“I am neither covertly or overtly a member of the APC, PDP or any other party. It is false and wrong to say @BBOG_Nigeria is led by members of the APC.

“If Mr. Ogbe is being correctly quoted, he can only be referring to those of their members who are part of @BBOG_Nigeria. Never has there been any speck of political party consideration in anything that the strategic team of the group that I chair does.” Meanwhile, the Presidency says 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.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said this on Thursday on his Twitter handle.

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.

*Nigerian Pilot