Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed reports suggesting that he accused the late President Muhammadu Buhari of having ties with Boko Haram.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan clarified that his comments at the public presentation of a book written by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd.), were grossly misrepresented.
“The attention of the Office of Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been drawn to misleading reports circulating in sections of the media suggesting that Dr Jonathan alleged that Boko Haram nominated the late President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, to represent them in dialogue with the Federal Government, and therefore this made him somehow complicit in the Boko Haram crisis.
“We wish to make it abundantly clear that the former President’s comments were grossly misrepresented. At no time did Dr Jonathan suggest, imply, or insinuate that President Buhari had any connection with Boko Haram or that he supported the group in any form,” it added.
According to the statement, Jonathan’s remarks were meant to highlight “the deviousness and manipulative strategies employed by Boko Haram in their early years,” particularly when factions of the group “falsely claimed to represent Boko Haram and purported to name prominent Nigerians as mediators without their consent.”
“The point Dr Jonathan sought to make was that Boko Haram, in its characteristic deceit, often invoked the names of respected public figures to sow confusion, exploit political divisions, and undermine public confidence in government. His comments were therefore an illustration of the group’s duplicity, not an accusation against the late former president or any individual for that matter,” Mr Eze explained.
Jonathan further stated that his position was clear: “If indeed Buhari was their choice negotiator, why didn’t Boko Haram expeditiously bring their evil terrorist agenda to an end when the retired General became president?”
The statement emphasised that Jonathan recognised Buhari as a patriot who also stood against terrorism and was a victim of Boko Haram attacks himself.
“Both men, during their respective tenures, shared a common commitment to restoring peace and stability to Nigeria,” Mr Eze said.
The former president’s office urged the public to disregard any distortion of his remarks, stressing that Jonathan “remains committed to peace, unity, and the strengthening of democratic values in Nigeria.”
