TheCable

The presidency has accused the #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) campaign movement of harbouring a plot to unseat Goodluck Jonathan as the president of Nigeria.

Alleging that BBOG has ties with the All Progressives Congress (APC), Reuben Abati and Doyin Okupe, the president’s spokesmen urged Nigerians to regard the criticism of the group as a means of achieving their objective.

They wondered why principal officers of the group, who are supposed to be non-partisan, played key roles during the declaration of Muhammadu Buhari, to seek APC’s nomination for the 2015 presidential election.

“Our longstanding view of BBOG movement’s hidden agenda to unseat the Jonathan administration received full Justification yesterday,” Abati wrote on his Twitter timeline.

“Roles played by Dino Melaye and the presence of BBOG’s initiator Hadiza Bala Usman at Buhari’s declaration is proof of their true aim. This is now fully apparent, the true agenda and prime movers of BBOG movement.

“Partisan interest masquerading as altruism; now, the mask is off! Politicising the agony of the Chibok girls and their families; politicising collective agony to score cheap political points. How sad!

“Patriotic Nigerians should open their eyes and reject the movement’s political partisanship and unjustifiable Jonathan bashing.

“President Jonathan remains fully committed to doing all possible to BBOG. He will not be deterred by political hustlers and agents provocateurs.”

In the same manner, Okupe came down hard on the group.

“Finally, APC takes ownership of #BringBackOurGirls. It is clear that though the intention seemed noble, it was politically motivated and all about 2015,” he also tweeted.

“Initiator of BBOG, Hadiza Bala Usman, Dino Melaye,were at Buhari’s declaration; and Audu Ogbeh thanked APC members leading the BBOG for their good job.

“God is wonderful. End of discussion.”

BBOG has been in the forefront of the campaign to rescue the female students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno state, abducted by Boko Haram on April 14.

The group, which has held rallies at different parts of the country, especially at Unity fountain in Abuja, was prevented from gaining access to the presidential villa on the two occasions a rally to the villa was planned.