Buhari in Chibok? Not at all!

Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All progressives Congress (APC), did not visit Chibok either on Monday or Tuesday as is being reported.

Buhari held the shortest presidential rally of his 2015 electioneering campaign in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state on Monday, as the uncontrollable crowd at the venue meant the rally had to end abruptly before it even began.

Reports then emerged that he visited Chibok, where more than 200 girls were abducted in a Boko Haram attack in the night of April 14, 2014.

The reports relied on a statement on what was thought to be his official Facebook campaign page, which claimed that the joint task force was reluctant to provide security cover for Buhari ahead of the trip, but he went all the same.

“After a successful and large turnout of Borno state people at our rally, I decided to visit the Chibok community, show my sincere support to the people of Chibok and the parents of our daughters kidnapped by Boko Haram. Though the JTF commanders were reluctant in providing us security until they received clearance from Abuja, we left for Chibok,” the statement read.

“Good must triumph over evil. I was personally moved when I came out and saw thousands of civilian JTF members who had volunteered to provide security for me, the Borno state governor and our entourage to and from Chibok town.

“The people and parents of Chibok were filled with hope and joy upon sighting me and my entourage, and escorted us into Chibok with singing and dancing. After I addressed the people and parents of the girls, a pastor offered prayers for the election of Buhari and victory at the polls for APC. The villagers got emotional and some of them started weeping when we were getting set to depart for Maiduguri.

“I wish to thank the people of Borno state for coming out in their thousands to support us and once again. I am assuring the Chibok community that we are standing with them and if elected to power, we will do all possible to eradicate insurgency in country and facilitate the return of our daughters safely to us.”

However, multiple sources confirmed to TheCable that although Buhari has the intention of visiting Chibok, he hasn’t just yet.

“Yes, the general was in Maiduguri yesterday, but I can confirm to you that he did not get to Chibok,” a source very close to Yemi Osinbajo, Buhari’s running mate, said.

Also, a security source in the Borno state capital confirmed that the much-publicised visit never held at all: “Maybe Buhari has the plan to visit Chibok, but he has not done that. Not yesterday; not today.”

Finally, responding to TheCable’s inquiry via text message, Garba Shehu, director of the APC campaign organisation, said Buhari would have visited were it not for the crowd trouble in Maiduguri.

“He was scheduled to visit but the enormity of the crowd made everything apart from the rally and a visit to the Shehu of Borno impossible. A date for Chibok is under consideration,” he said.