The camp of late President Muhammadu Buhari has strongly dismissed claims by former President Goodluck Jonathan that Boko Haram once nominated Buhari as their representative in peace talks with the Federal Government.
Jonathan made the controversial statement in Abuja during the launch of “Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum”, a book written by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.).
But Buhari’s former spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, described the claim as false, misleading, and politically motivated, suggesting it was part of an attempt to prepare the ground for Jonathan’s possible 2027 presidential run.
“We are compelled to respond to this terrible statement. If this is a campaign strategy towards his 2027 bid, then Mr Jonathan, you are making a false start,” Shehu said in a statement issued Friday, October 3.
Boko Haram ‘Never Trusted Buhari’ – Shehu
Shehu argued that it was impossible for Boko Haram to have trusted Buhari enough to nominate him as a mediator. He recalled that the group’s late leader, Abubakar Shekau, constantly threatened Buhari and even attempted to assassinate him in a 2014 bomb attack in Kaduna that injured some of his aides.
He added that Buhari’s political campaigns were built on promises to defeat Boko Haram and restore security, which put him in direct opposition to the insurgents.
Past Denials and Political Spin
To back up his rebuttal, Shehu referenced the reaction of Buhari’s former party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which publicly denied the nomination reports at the time.
He quoted the party’s then National Secretary, Engr. Buba Galadima, who told journalists that Buhari had never been contacted by anyone about such talks.
Shehu further clarified that the 2012 claims originated from Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz, who posed as a Boko Haram commander in Maiduguri. Abdulaziz had listed Buhari and other northern leaders as potential mediators, but the announcement was quickly disowned by Shekau himself, who insisted Abdulaziz had no mandate.
“This shows the claims were stage-managed, likely by Buhari’s political opponents, just to drag his name into the Boko Haram crisis,” Shehu stated.
He concluded by accusing Jonathan of attempting to rewrite history for political reasons, saying:
“To win in 2027, Dr Jonathan should look for a better story to tell Nigerians.”
Factual