ADVERTISEMENTIt was the hashtag that swept a world horrified at the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by Boko Haram.
In a bid to help find them, celebrities, from Michelle Obama to Malala Yousafzai, posted online pictures of themselves holding the slogan #BringBackOurGirls
But now the slogan has become shrouded in controversy after Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan used it in his re-election campaign material.
PHOTO — 1st Lady Michelle Obama holds BRING BACK OUR GIRLS Sign. #BringBackOurGirls#MichelleObama#HillaryClintonpic.twitter.com/DzGgXhgE3v
— Global Youth Justice (@JuvenileCrime) May 8, 2014
I'm not sure I've seen anything more powerful … #Malala#BringBackOurGirlspic.twitter.com/5LcSm5vnfN
— Erin Kotecki Vest (@QueenofSpain) May 6, 2014
A group campaigning on behalf of Jonathan has seemingly piggybacked on the hashtag by using #BringBackGoodluck2015.
The Goodluck Initiative For Transformation (GIFT), had, at the time of writing, a host of images on its Facebook page carrying the slogan.
Boko Haram, a militant Islamist movement that killed more than 2,000 people in the first half of 2014, claimed it had kidnapped the girls, who disappeared on April 14.
Five months on, and with the girls still missing, there has been an online backlash over Jonathan’s campaign material.
Everyone is now bringing back something. Shameless pic.twitter.com/NuauFXxGcZ
— #BringBackOurGirls (@rotexonline) September 4, 2014
The winner of most insensitive hashtag goes to the new campaign slogan: #BringBackGoodluck2015http://t.co/PGEawhL3Rppic.twitter.com/UfrHWaeID4
— Femi Oke (@FemiOke) September 9, 2014
omojuwa</a> How Sad And Insensitive Can This GEJ Supporters Be By Using <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BringBackGoodluck2015?src=hash">#BringBackGoodluck2015</a> ? The Height Of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SYCOPHANCY?src=hash">#SYCOPHANCY</a> !!</p>— Kachi Zone (KachiZone) September 9, 2014
The #BringBackOurGirls emerged from a campaign group in Abuja who wanted to put pressure on the government to step up its efforts to find the girls. It was tweeted more than a million times in just a week.
6pm update Goodluck Jonathan asks his supporters to stop using the rehashed version of the #BringBackOurGirls to campaign for his re-election.
Photo credit: GIFT