Washington Post condemns President Goodluck Jonathan over #BringBackGoodluck2015 slogan

In an article titled "This may be the most inappropriate political hashtag of the year", Washigton Post writer Ishaan Tharor has slammed Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan as well as his campaigners over his new political slogan; #BringBackGoodluck2015.

As the 2015 General Elections draw near, supporters have started hanging banners bearing the new hashtag in some streets in Abuja to campaign for the re-election of the incumbent President. The hashtag has been perceived to be a mockery of the #BringBackOurGirls cause which was introduced to campaign for the release of over 200 missing Chibok girls kidnapped by members of Islamic sect, Boko Haram months ago.



Excerpts from The Washington post:

"Banners emerged in the capital Abuja over the weekend showing Jonathan alongside a new slogan: #BringBackGoodluck2015. The campaign appears to be the work of supporters of the president, keen for his reelection in presidential polls next February. 

While #BringBackOurGirls was just a brief cause celebre in the West — a passing moment to get morally exercised and then move on — it had a deeper meaning in Nigeria. It echoed the larger frustrations of a society that has little faith in its political leadership, is fed up with endemic corruption and wants genuine reform and better governance. Jonathan blamed activists espousing the hashtag for "politicizing" the crisis.

Boko Haram is a fanatical, murderous outfit, but its insurgency gained sway in a region that has been historically marginalized and neglected by Nigeria's central government. Jonathan's seeming indifference toward the missing girls hardly helped. In the early stages of the protests, his wife even reportedly had a number of #BringBackOurGirls activists detained.


In this context, the new campaign slogan is particularly galling. Jonathan has not brought back the girls, yet his campaign expects Nigeria to bring him back to power. One wonders if it will spawn more rich satire among Nigerians on social media. After all, there's plenty of precedent."