Ding dong over the visit of a group purporting to be members of the Martin Luther King Jr, MLK, Center, to the presidency where an award was presented to President Mohammadu Buhari, has continued to generate flaks from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) after it emanated that the visitors share no links whatsoever with MLK.
This is as Abike Dabiri-Erewa, an aide to the president on Diaspora matters attempted a clarification that the presidency never at anytime claimed that the visitors were from MLK.
Firing on all cylinders, Kola Ologbodiyan, publicity secretary of the leading opposition party, described the announcement by the Buhari Presidency that the family of human right activist, Martin Luther King jr conferred an award on President Muhammadu Buhari as a national disgrace and embarrassment.
In his statement on Thursday, Ologbodiyan said the lie by President Buhari’s handlers smacks of desperation by the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC), to procure international endorsement, ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The leading opposition party said this embarrassing act has again made the nation a laughing stock before the international community.
The party said the nation was jolted when the King Center distanced itself from the award and noted that, “the award given to President Buhari of Nigeria was not given by The King Center, at the request of The King Center or by the children of Martin Luther King jr”.
“It is now clear that this sinking, incompetent and deceptive APC administration, in their desperation, can fabricate and stage-manage anything, including name-dropping of international figures and agencies, in their desperate attempt to delude Nigerians, once again, now that the 2019 general election is fast approaching.
“Nigerians have discovered that having failed to gain any endorsement from reputable international figures such as Bill Gates, the APC and the Presidency have now cheapened the nation by resorting to this despicable act of name-dropping of world-renowned human right activist, Dr. Martin Luther King jr, further dragging down our once sterling image before the comity of Nations, Ologbodiyan said.
The party Spokesman also said that there were widespread skepticism over the authenticity of the award even before MLK Center responded. According to PDP, Buhari’s administration has done nothing to merit the plaque.
“Buhari’s administration, by its undemocratic and anti-people proclivities, including records of violations of rights of citizens, is not deserving of any form of recognition by any human rights group, let alone the family of the world-acclaimed Martin Luther King jr,” Ologbodiyan said.
But reacting to the controversy, office of the Senior Special Adviser on Foreign and Diaspora Matters explained that at no time did the Presidency claim that the visitors were from MLK. Rather, said Abdurrahman Balogun, SA, Media to Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign And Diaspora, reports claiming that the visitors to the president came from MLK were from fake online news portals.
According to Balogun, Matriarch of MLK, Naomi Barbara King, were in Nigeria as part of the activities initiated to celebrate a low- key Black History Month in Nigeria as part of deepening partnership between Africa and its Diaspora.
As part of the activities, they visited President Muhammadu Buhari and gave him a commemorative plaque for his fight against corruption and what they termed from the “ Africania Diaspora” a term for Africans in Diaspora for which the oldest of them all Naomi Barbara King was selected to present on behalf of the family (NOT MLK CENTER) as a sign of appreciation to the Nigerian President.
“It must be categorically stated here that the trip was totally privately funded and not one kobo was spent by the Nigerian government as it was all a private initiative.
“However, after two days in Nigeria, one of the members apparently granted an interview which was seen as being political , asking Nigerians to give President Muhammadu Buhari a chance to continue his good works especially of fighting corruption in Nigeria.
“As a non political group , he was asked to refute the statement , which he refused to , insisting that was how he felt , and it was his personal opinion, not that of the family nor the centre, of which he is a board member and was the Chief Operating Officer for over five years.
This may have led to some arguements among them , which they have said they will resolve when they get back to the US., which apparently led to the tweet being circulated,” Balogun stated.
