The co-founder of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, Aisha Yesufu, in a fiery and impassioned interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time, delivered a scathing critique of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, asserting that his leadership was marked by incompetence and a lack of empathy for victims of terrorism.
Yesufu also vehemently denied long-standing allegations that the BBOG movement was funded by the United States Agency for International Development to destabilize Jonathan’s government.
Yesufu, a prominent activist and outspoken critic of government failures, recounted the harrowing events surrounding the abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram in 2014. She expressed outrage at Jonathan’s initial silence for 19 days following the abduction, as well as his administration’s failure to act decisively.
“Goodluck Jonathan never said a word. His administration spokesperson didn’t say a word until 2015, a few weeks to the election,” she said, highlighting what she described as a pattern of neglect and indifference.
The BBOG movement, which began on April 30, 2014, was a grassroots effort by Nigerians demanding the rescue of the abducted girls. Yesufu emphasized that the movement was entirely self-funded by its members, rejecting claims of foreign sponsorship.
“We don’t have bank accounts. We were not registered. We don’t have anything. So in what way were we doing business with USAID?” she asked, dismissing the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
Yesufu also criticized Nigerians who, in hindsight, have attempted to rehabilitate Jonathan’s image by comparing his tenure to the perceived failures of his successors, Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu.
“Should we say that because somebody’s failure is greater than the other, then the other one now becomes better? No,” she argued, urging Nigerians to hold leaders accountable rather than making excuses for their failures.
Reflecting on the broader implications of the Chibok tragedy, Yesufu lamented the lack of empathy and collective action from Nigerians. “We are all victims waiting to happen,” she said, stressing that the failure to prioritize the lives of the abducted girls exposed deep societal flaws. “Nigeria failed them by allowing them to be abducted. The next thing was to have brought them back immediately, which they didn’t do.”
Yesufu also revealed her personal stance on Jonathan’s presidency, stating unequivocally that she worked to remove him from office due to his incompetence and corruption.
“I, Aisha Yesufu, wanted Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to be removed because he was clueless. He was incompetent. He had failed,” she declared, adding that she owed no apologies for exercising her democratic right to vote out a failing leader.
The activist’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about Nigeria’s leadership and the legacy of past administrations. While some have sought to portray Jonathan’s era in a more favorable light, Yesufu’s blistering critique serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of governance failures and the enduring struggle for accountability in Nigeria.
As the BBOG movement marks 11 years since its inception, Yesufu remains resolute in her commitment to justice for the Chibok girls and other victims of terrorism.
“No matter what they try to do, they will not take away the pain that we went through to ensure that Chibok girls are brought back,” she said, underscoring the resilience and determination of those who refuse to be silenced in the face of adversity.
