When President Muhammadu Buhari was awarded the very First Black History Month National Black Excellence and Exceptional African Leadership Award by the family of famous human rights activist, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it was a big deal.
At the award ceremony which took place at Council Chambers in Abuja on Monday, March 26, 2018, the delegation of the King family was led by Dr Naomi Barbara King who advised that the nation continue to pray for peace and strive to eradicate corruption in order to be a nation to be reckoned with.

To the presidency, it was a big deal because it validated their insistence of the president's value as a credible leader being recognised by a powerful family for his war on corruption in the country.

To the dissenting Nigerian public, especially on social media, it was a scam being orchestrated and paid for to further pull the wool over the country's eyes about the president's shortcomings as the 2019 presidential election approaches.

The objections were mostly based on the perceived clash in the human rights fight of the late Dr King and the governing style and track record of President Buhari.

When MLK's nephew, Isaac Newton Farris Jr, further counselled Nigerians against voting out the president in next year's election, it kicked up more dust.

He said, "I will counsel Nigerians to say give this man the time he needs to do the job that he is doing. He is one of the most legitimate leaders that the continent has produced.

"So I will just counsel Nigerians, I know, I am a visitor it is really not my business but be careful before you vote this man out of office."

This raised even more controversy as, as Farris himself feared, Nigerians told him it was none of his business and wondered why the MLK family was rooting for the president.

Last night on Thursday, March 28, an interesting development emerged.

No immediate MLK connection
After the 1968 assassination of MLK Jnr, a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement in America, his wife, Coretta Scott King, founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

One of the nongovernmental organisation's drive is to develop a family of leaders who personify the philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in their own lives and apply the philosophy of nonviolence to the problems and issues of the world.

MLK Jnr's youngest child, Dr Bernice King, has been The King Center's president and CEO since 2012.

On Wednesday, The King Center denied any connection to the award that the family purportedly awarded President Buhari.

It posted on its official Twitter handle, "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 Coretta Scott King."


The Center's denial seemed to confirm Nigerians' suspicion about the award's authenticity and the actors behind it.

Many even started to suggest that the president of the most populous black nation was swindled by a foreign party.

So who is behind the award?

A lesser-known King
Dr Naomi Barbara King, who presented President Buhari with the award, is the wife of Alfred Daniel Williams "A. D." King, a Baptist minister and a civil rights activist, who was MLK Jr's younger brother and died in an accidental drowning 15 months after his assassination.

Dr Naomi King, also a human rights activist, co-founded the A.D. King Foundation in 2008 with the primary focus on youth/women empowerment and nonviolent social change strategies as a way of life and entrepreneurship as the center core; travelling all over the world to promote such and speak out on important issues.


Dr Naomi Barbara King (A.D. King Foundation)
An interesting link between the award and Nigeria is Dr. Rev. Babatunde Olusegun Onabanjo, a co-founder and CEO of the AD King Foundation who has Nigerian roots.

The A.D. King Foundation and The King Center are two organisations who appear to have similar goals but are different and tied to two different Kings.

The frenzy around the president's award had led many to blur the facts about the actors behind it with some even confusing Dr Naomi King to be MLK's deceased wife, Coretta Scott.

This could have been what prompted the needed response from The King Center to clarify that the President Buhari was not awarded on its behalf.

When Dr Naomi King presented the award to the president, she didn't pass it off as an award from The King Center. All the official statements that came from the presidency suggested that it was an award from the family, with a vagueness about how far that link extends.

While the initial public reaction to the award contributed to the confusion around it which prompted The King Center's denial, Farris' role in the delegation had raised the stakes a little higher.

Isaac Newton Farris is the son of Christine King Farris, MLK Jnr's oldest sibling, who was also the Vice Chair and Treasurer of The King Center for many years.

Farris was named president and CEO of The King Center in September 2005, after he had spent the previous five years as chief operating officer.

His tie to the The King Center had carried some weight when he made his comments on the reelection of President Buhari who is even yet to formally announce that he'll be running. This contributed largely to the confusion over the whole award situation.

Even though the award given to President Buhari was not a 'scam' like many have shared jokes about, but The King Center's disregard of it strips the award of some of the gloss it had just three days ago.

https://amp.pulse.ng/news/local/which-mlk-family-gave-buhari-disregarded-leadership-award-id8182352.html

Lalasticlala mynd44

Ok, so why did the Presidency lie repeatedly that the award came from the family i.e from The King Center?


What were they trying to achieve? Again to add salt to injury, a foreigner on National TV, NTA, aided by the Presidency telling Nigerians who to vote for? Can a Nigerian be allowed by the White House to appear on State TV in the United States to campaign for their President, telling Americans to vote for their President and not another person? All these were done even when campaign has not officially started.

Seriously, I can't believe what this country is turning to

During buhari's destructive govt's elaborate scam award, they claimed Buhari was honoured with Black History award by Martin Luther King's wife. But the question is; Do dead people also give award? Informed people already know that Martin Luther King's wife died in 2006.
Who is the imposter that gave buhari award?

saaron:
During buhari's destructive govt's elaborate scam award, they claimed Buhari was honoured with Black History award by Martin Luther King's wife. But the question is; Do dead people also give award? Informed people already know that Martin Luther King's wife died in 2006.
Who is the imposter that gave buhari award?

The presidency said it is from the King Family, it is media that tagged it Martin Luther Kings wife

Those who gave the award are related to the late civil rights activists, but they are not his direct descendants. One of the guests is reportedly King’s brother’s wife and another a nephew.

Lalasticlala, let's clear some misconception.

Proudlyngwa:


The presidency said it is from the King Family, it is media that tagged it Martin Luther Kings wife

But the King Family has just came out to deny it saying those that gave the award did not represent the family or MLK center

This is a fast scam perpetrated against the unsuspecting public by this gunment.
Buhari APC and scam are like 5&6

It's even a crime to pay a forigener to come solicit votes for you ...Buhari should as a matter of fact step down if he has any honour left

kimjongJezebel:




But the King Family has just came out to deny it saying those that gave the award did not represent the family or MLK center

If you had read the write-up, you would have seen that the organisation that gave the award is different from the MLK center, but still has relatives of King as its founder, they are too different organisations representing two different but similar motives

Abike Dabiri must be auctioned off in the nearest slave market and proceeds from her sale should be paid back into the federation account including all monies realized from liquidating all her property in Nigeria.

We must recover that $3million they paid to buy this scam award.

SarkinYarki:
It's even a crime to pay a forigener to come solicit votes for you ...Buhari should as a matter of fact step down if he has any honour left

Really
Kindly throw more light, on the payment issue

Proudlyngwa:


The presidency said it is from the King Family, it is media that tagged it Martin Luther Kings wife

Those who gave the award are related to the late civil rights activists, but they are not his direct descendants. One of the guests is reportedly King’s brother’s wife and another a nephew.

Lalasticlala, let's clear some misconception.

Go back and the presidency twit on that, it said Martin Luther King Jr family.

It did not say AD king family or foundation

[s]

Proudlyngwa:


If you had read the write-up, you would have seen that the organisation that gave the award is different from the MLK center, but still has relatives of King as its founder, they are too different organisations representing two different but similar motives

[/s]

The wife to MLK's Junior brother is not a blood relative.

She is a known hustler who has been using the King name and connection to make a buck

luvinhubby:



Go back and the presidency twit on that, it Martin Luther King Jr family.

It did not say AD king family or foundation

And who is denying it is not Martin Luther King Jr family.

The people in question are related to King, but the two organisations are different.

Proudlyngwa:


Really
Kindly throw more light, on the payment issue

Sahara reporters said the rogues from the MLK family were paid to deliver the fake award

SarkinYarki:
It's even a crime to pay a forigener to come solicit votes for you ...Buhari should as a matter of fact step down if he has any honour left

Exactly. When I heard the strange news that a so called MLK family members is asking Nigerians to vote terrorist buhari again, I knew something fishy was going on. Which foreigner will go to another country and start campaigning for votes for the govt?

Proudlyngwa:


If you had read the write-up, you would have seen that the organisation that gave the award is different from the MLK center, but still has relatives of King as its founder, they are too different organisations representing two different but similar motives

You are educated, if you had read the Presidency statements about the award and also the statement from the MLK Center with extreme comprehensive skills and common sense, you should be calling for those involved in the Presidency to be prosecuted. Since we have no conscience in this country, we will keep supporting evil

Proudlyngwa:


The presidency said it is from the King Family, it is media that tagged it Martin Luther Kings wife

Those who gave the award are related to the late civil rights activists, but they are not his direct descendants. One of the guests is reportedly King’s brother’s wife and another a nephew.

Lalasticlala, let's clear some misconception.

What is the name of the person that gave the award?

saaron:
What is the name of the person that gave the award?

Naomi Barbara King (AD King foundation) wife to the younger brother of Martin Luther King Junior.

Proudlyngwa:


Naomi Barbara King (AD King foundation) wife to the younger brother of Martin Luther King Junior.

Never heard of this name.

The presidency in its twitter handle said that the award was given by Martin Luther King's Jnr.(MLK) family. But the truth is that the award came from the wife of Alfred Daniel Williams "A. D." King, a Baptist minister. A.D King is the younger brother of Martin Luther King Jnr. Their Father was Martin Luther King Snr. The presidency passed off the award to be from Martin Luther King Jnr's Family which it was not. If it was made clear that it was A.D King's Family that gave the award, the controversy would not have arisen.

no mind all theses mumu where dey defend the impossible. Naija is finish.

luvinhubby:



Go back and the presidency twit on that, it said Martin Luther King Jr family.

It did not say AD king family or foundation

Amacaco:
The presidency in its twitter handle said that the award was given by Martin Luther King's Jnr.(MLK) family. But the truth is that the award came from the wife of Alfred Daniel Williams "A. D." King, a Baptist minister. A.D King is the younger brother of Martin Luther King Jnr. Their Father was Martin Luther King Snr. The presidency passed off the award to be from Martin Luther King Jnr's Family which it was not. If it was made clear that it was A.D King's Family that gave the award, the controversy would not have arisen.

The presidency said it was from the family of Martin Luther King, not the organisation.

The people who gave the award are legally related to King hence the family tag.
This days everything is for the media.

Proudlyngwa:


The presidency said it was from the family of Martin Luther King, not the organisation.

The people who gave the award are legally related to King hence the family tag.
This days everything is for the media.

Martin Luther King Jr family is not same as. Alfred Daniel King Family.

If your presidency had said King's family, it could have avoided the mess, they had to add Martin Luther King Jr's name to it and the man's family said it is a fraud.


And where on earth does a 'working' presidenot need to pay $3 million to get an award?

luvinhubby:


Martin Luther King Jr family is not same as. Alfred Daniel King Family.

They are extended family, or is your nephew not part of your family.
He is Luthers younger brother.

Proudlyngwa:

They are extended family, or is your nephew not part of your family.
He is Luthers younger brother.

My wife and kids are my family, my brothers and sisters are my siblings, my cousins, aunties and nephews are my relatives, that is why they are called EXTENDED family.

@Proudlyngwa: Please read the twitter handle of the Presidency again and note what was written there. For avoidance of doubt, I reproduce it here for you "President@MBuhari today 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." From the above, you will see that the family of Martin Luther King Jnr was no where near Aso Rock. But Dr Naomi Barbara King representing the family of A .D King or by extension family of Martin Luther King Snr that came to see Buhari and give him an Award.

luvinhubby:


My wife and kids are my family, my brothers and sisters are my siblings, my cousins, aunties and nephews are my relatives, that is why they are called EXTENDED family.

Your wife and kids are your family.
Your brother, sister, father and mother are also your family, so I don't understand how you mean wife and kids being family alone.

Also understand that in no time did the said award originate from the MLK center, maybe as you said they should have simply used relatives.

Cc Amacaco

Proudlyngwa:

Your wife and kids are your family.
Your brother, sister, father and mother are also your family, so I don't understand how you mean wife and kids being family alone.

Also understand that in no time did the said award originate from the MLK center, maybe as you said they should have simply used relatives.

Cc Amacaco

Your dictionary cleared stated family to being those sharing parental offspring.

If sharing ancestral offspring makes one family, then all black men are one since we have a common ancestry from Japhet, Noah's son and my humble self will head to Ask rock to present Uncle PMB with an award from the Obama foundation and collect my own $3 million from aunty Abike.


Pls respond

luvinhubby:


Your dictionary cleared stated family to being those sharing parental offspring.

If sharing ancestral offspring makes one family, then all black men are one since we have a common ancestry from Japhet, Noah's son and my humble self will head to Ask rock to present Uncle PMB with an award from the Obama foundation and collect my own $3 million from aunty Abilene.


It's respond.

Parental offspring usually departs after the third generation grandfather, father, son.

So sorry you are not giving Bubu any Obama award