Buhari’s Camp Slams Jonathan Over Boko Haram Comment

Buhari’s Camp Slams Jonathan Over Boko Haram Comment
Garba Shehu says terrorists opposed and even targeted Buhari.
Shehu accuses Jonathan of political mischief ahead of 2027 elections.

The camp of late President Muhammadu Buhari has dismissed former President Goodluck Jonathan’s claim that Boko Haram once nominated Buhari as their representative in peace talks with the Federal Government, describing it as false and politically motivated.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Jonathan made the statement in Abuja on Friday 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.).

Reacting in a statement, Buhari’s former spokesperson, Garba Shehu, accused Jonathan of attempting to distort history ahead of a possible 2027 presidential ambition.

“We are compelled to respond to the terrible claim that Boko Haram once nominated Buhari to represent them. If this is part of a 2027 campaign message, Mr Jonathan is starting on the wrong note,” Shehu said.

He explained that Boko Haram and its late leader, Abubakar Shekau, consistently opposed Buhari, adding that the group even attempted to assassinate him in Kaduna in 2014. “Their ideologies were entirely opposed, and Shekau routinely threatened Buhari,” he added.

Shehu referenced a 2012 incident where a man named Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz, who claimed to be a Boko Haram commander, announced Buhari among proposed mediators. However, the group’s leadership later disowned the statement, clarifying that Abdulaziz acted without authority.

According to Shehu, the claim was politically motivated, possibly orchestrated by Buhari’s opponents to link him to the insurgency.

He concluded that Jonathan’s recent comments were an attempt to rewrite history, saying, “To win in 2027, Dr Jonathan should look for a better story to tell Nigerians.”