Former President Goodluck Jonathan has denied the media report that he allegedly said Boko Haram had nominated former President Muhammadu Buhari as a representative in a dialogue with the government.
Jonathan, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, said such a report was misleading, adding that there was no time he accused Buhari as somehow being 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,” the statement partly read.
It further explained that Dr Jonathan’s remarks were made in the course of a broader discussion on Nigeria’s security challenges, stating they were meant to illustrate the deviousness and manipulative strategies employed by Boko Haram in their early years.
“His reference was to a well-documented episode when various individuals and factions falsely claimed to represent the terrorist group and purported to name prominent Nigerians as possible mediators: without those individuals’ knowledge or consent,” the statement said.
According to the statement, “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.”
It added that Jonathan’s comments were therefore an illustration of the group’s duplicity, not an accusation against the late former president or any individual, for that matter.
“The former president’s position was that 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?” it asked.
The statement said Jonathan recognises that President Buhari, like every patriotic Nigerian, stood firmly against terrorism and was himself a target of Boko Haram violence.
“Both men, during their respective tenures, shared a common commitment to restoring peace and stability to Nigeria.
“The office of the former president, therefore, urges the public to disregard any misinterpretation of his remarks.
“Dr Jonathan remains committed to peace, unity, and the strengthening of democratic values in Nigeria.
“He believes that the nation’s progress depends on a truthful understanding of its challenges, not on the distortion of facts for political or sensational purposes,” the statement added.
