Election: APC Chieftain Launches Bring-Back-Jonathan-In-2019

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Borno State has become rattled by the launch of the Bring-Back-Goodluck-Jonathan-in-2019 campaign by a former chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Grema Terab, who parades himself as a chieftain of the ruling party 

The party, however, distanced itself from the campaign, going ahead to disown Alhaji Grema Terab, saying that there is no record of him being registered as card a carrying member of the APC in any of the 312 wards across the 27 local government areas of the state. 

Borno State secretary of APC, Bello Ayuba, issued a statement saying:

“Last night, many of our APC members in Borno State were shocked to receive messages on their mobile phones with the following words in quote:

‘Fellow Northern Youths, join the launching of our movement to Bring-Back-Goodluck-Jonathan in 2019; holding tomorrow, Thursday, [January 26, 2017] Abuja.

‘All Northerners have failed this country and no northerner (Muslim or Christian) has capacity. Let us Northerners also concede the Vice President to Gov Ayo Fayose. He is the most courageous, honest Nigerian leader today.’ 

‘Jonathan/Fayose 2019 ticket will transform our country. Fayose is man of masses and Jonathan is very humble and the most capable leader in Africa. He is also a very very very generous man. Whoever worked with Jonathan say goodbye to poverty? 

‘We need empowerment in Nigeria. Signed The Great Grema Terab (former chairman, SEMA, Borno State)’.

“While we respect the free­dom of any Nigerian, includ­ing Grema Terab to associate with any political party and aspirant of his choice for all elective office, we found it disturbing that some Nigerians are already assuming Terab is a member of the Borno APC for the fact that he always identifies himself as a member of the APC in Borno State mainly because he once held public office as chairman of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency from 2013 to 2015 and also openly associates with public office holders in Borno State and in Abuja who are of the APC. 

“The Borno APC wishes to quickly inform the public that Grema Terab is not registered with the APC in any of the 312 wards in the 27 local government areas of Borno State and therefore, should not mistake for a member of the APC in Borno State. 

“The Borno APC completely disassociate itself from from any campaign message to Bring Back President Jonathan in 2019 given our experience of his poor handling of the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno and other parts of the north­east which is evident in the series of revelations concerning gross misappropriation of funds meant from procurement of arms. 

“We respect the right of any Nigerian to campaign for Jonathan but we find it rather disturbing that the name of Borno can be dragged into a campaign of such at a time we are celebrating giant efforts being put up by the APC administration of President Muhammadu Buhari which resulted in the fall of Sambisa Forest, the liberation of many communities from the hands of Boko Haram insurgents, the rescue of hundreds of our abducted sons, sisters and daughters including some of our Chibok schoolgirls from the hands of Boko Haram in addition to attracting on­going military cooperation from the international in prosecuting the war against Boko Haram. 

“The Borno APC will not support anyone trying to distract the war against terrorism under the guise of an ill-timed Bring-Back-Goodluck-Jonathan Campaign which even went as far as using the slogan of the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign which mocks the agony of parents of yet to be rescued Chibok schoolgirls and sensitivity of all Nigerians and the International community over the schoolgirls abduction that worries all human beings with common sense,” the statement ended as reported in The Authority. 

[News Express]