Following the discovery that the award purportedly given by Martin Luther King family to President Muhammadu Buhari was fake, Nigerians have taken to social media to mock the president.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that on Tuesday some members of the African American civil rights leaders had given an award to Mr Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, and urged Nigerians to re-elect him in 2019.
“President @MBuhari today at the State House received Martin Luther King Jnr’s family. He was also conferred with the 1st Black History Month National Black Excellence and Exceptional African Leadership Award 2018. #AsoVillaToday,” a statement from the Presidency said.
Following inquiry by Nigerians on Twitter, the children of Martin Luther King and the King Center have, however, denied issuing the award to Mr Buhari.
In a tweet on Wednesday, The King Center said: “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 #MLK and #CorettaScottKing. @MrFixNigeria.”
Writing on his Facebook page, prominent public affairs analyst, Farooq Kperogi, picked holes in the award from many angles, saying the wife of Martin Luther King’s wife, Coretta, died in 2006.
“After Bill Gates’ in-your-face dissing of the Buhari government, Nigerian scam artists led by Abike Dabiri got some Black American hustlers from Atlanta to pose as close relatives of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and present a fraudulent “Black History Award” to Buhari.
“The photos of the “award” circulated on social media a few days ago with the following cutline: “Buhari wins Black History Award. The Award was presented to him in Abuja by the Family of Martin Luther King led by Luther’s Wife. Martin Luther King’s Wife said PMB won this award because of America’s recognition of his ANTICORRUPTION war, urging him not to be deterred.” HAHAHAHA!!!
“First, Coretta King, Martin Luther King’s wife, died on January 30, 2006. I know Buhari gives appointments to dead people, but in America dead people don’t give awards. Second, Black History is celebrated in February, not March, in America and Canada.
“Finally, the King family has dissociated itself from the award (see screenshot of the tweet from the King Center below). The extent the Buhari government is prepared to go to court embarrassment and ridicule Nigeria in its bid to lie in order to conceal its crying incompetence is simply astounding,” Mr Kperogi posted.
Another Facebook user, Jaafar Jaafar, quipped: “Don’t you think it was Kataf History Award, endowed by Martin Luther Agwai?”
On Twitter, the stage is also stormy. Read bellow some of the reactions of Nigerians.
@iDeric: This fresh shit I woke up to from this Nigeria government ehn! I’ve just been laughing. IS THIS YOUR (MARTIN LUTHER) KING????
@OgundipeOludar2: “the shameful thing is that Martin Luther King in his days din’t stand for these nonsense that characterise Buhari’s government. Oh what an irony.
@Obiagwu_Conrade: “When will this madness of lies and propaganda by our government stop. Did it get to the point of impersonating Luther King’s family for an award he didn’t merit.”
@KayMefour: “Yahoo 3.0. So some people fried their hair, entered Aso Rock and said they were children of Martin Luther King. Gave an award to Buhari and he paid them. Angel Gabriel please blow trumpet for Buhari and most especially Pastor Osinbajo”
@abelekene: “Thank you @TheKingCenter for this. I hope president @MBuhari and the @NGRPresident can apologize to Nigerians and prosecute those behind the devilish award for claiming that the award had a link with the great Martin Luther King”
@jacksonpbn: “The Martin Luther King Jnr award to Buhari yesterday is fake. The king Family has distanced themselves from the award. Buhari has once again been scammed. Abike DABIRI smiling to the Bank with her loot!”
@Seyi__: “So some unfortunate distant relatives of Martin Luther King came to Nigeria to collect small cash and endorse Buhari using the King name. Now the real children of MLK have denounced them and their acts.”
