GEJ’s Men Haul Cash To UK For Anti-Buhari Rally

 

                 A protest is set for today in London against All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari – at a price.

                      The Presidency is spending thousands of dollars on the protest, which is meant to take the shine off Gen. Buhari’s lecture at the prestigious Chatham House.

Besides some presidential aides, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor is said to be part of the plot.

                      The arrowhead of the protest is an amorphous civil society group, which has been mobilised with $20,000, The Nation learnt last night. There are other groups, but it was not immediately clear last night how much they got.

The Federal Government has been uncomfortable with the growing international sympathy for Gen. Buhari, who got a favourable mention in an

editorial by the New York Times, which ran scathing comments on the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. The influential London magazine, The Economist, endorsed Gen. Buhari ahead of the March 28 election.

The governor, who is from the South, is said to be taking advantage of his past stay in London to mobilise “hirelings” against Gen. Buhari.

According to sources, the governor and the “Abuja forces” plotted a five-way attack against Gen. Buhari, including heckling of the APC presidential candidate, protest with placards and banners at Chatham House, and pelting of Buhari with tomatoes and trash.

A highly-placed source said: “Some forces are angry that Buhari is getting international endorsement, in spite of their huge investment in propaganda by the PDP.

“The aggrieved consider the appearance of Buhari in Chatham House as the icing of the cake, which must be disrupted. They cannot fathom why Buhari will be accorded such international audience.

“They have mobilised some hirelings in London to embarrass and intimidate Buhari even if it means violating the law in London and paying fines thereafter.”

A  document, “RE: THE CHATHAM HOUSE RALLY MARCH AGAINST DICTATOR”  revealed that a civil society group  might coordinate the protest.

In the document sent by its Assistant Director to the Director, a copy of which was  purportedly sent to a highly-placed government official, released the details of the plot.

The group also listed a schedule of activities at the Chatham House, beginning from 9am. The activities include drummers playing patriotic Nigerian music(9am to 9.30am); start chanting of anti-Buhari and anti-military songs also; speakers start speaking about Buhari’s dictatorship at 10pm; diasporas will stay at Chatham House and continue to chant anti-Buhari songs until the event is over.

“However to defray the cost of logistics, refreshment, mobilisation and necessary permits to stage the rally, we shall need the sum of $20,000 to cover all the expenses,” the memo said.

The document reads in part: “Nigerians in the Diaspora will converge at (sic) Chatham House, United Kingdom on Thursday, 26th of February, 2015 to show solidarity and support for President Goodluck Jonathan and his transformation agenda in Nigeria as a surprise to the august visitor, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC)

“The solidarity rally will, among other things, address major progresses (sic) of President Goodluck Jonathan and many sins of General Muhammadu Buhari while he was the military dictator.”