The office of former President Goodluck Jonathan has issued a strong rebuttal, stating that his recent comments linking the late President Muhammadu Buhari to Boko Haram have been “grossly misrepresented” by sections of the media.
In a press release signed by his special adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, the office expressed concern over “misleading reports” that suggested Dr. Jonathan accused Mr Buhari of being nominated by the terrorist group to represent them.
“We wish to make it abundantly clear that the former President’s comments were grossly misrepresented,” the statement read. “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 clarification comes after a media storm where Mr Jonathan’s remarks were interpreted as insinuating complicity from the late president in the Boko Haram crisis that has plagued Nigeria for over a decade.
According to the office, the former president’s original remarks were part of a “broader discussion on Nigeria’s security challenges.” They were intended to illustrate the “deviousness and manipulative strategies” used by Boko Haram in its early years.
The statement explained that Mr Jonathan was referring to a “well-documented episode” where various people falsely claimed to speak for the terrorist group and, without permission, named prominent Nigerians as potential mediators.
“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,” the office stated, emphasising that Boko Haram often invoked respected names to “sow confusion, exploit political divisions, and undermine public confidence in government.”
To further drive home the point that he was not accusing Mr Buhari, the office posed a logical question from the former president’s perspective. They stated: “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?”
This rhetorical question was presented as proof that Mr Jonathan never believed there was any genuine link between the late president and the militants.
The press release sought to firmly shut down any narrative of a political feud between the two leaders, both of whom have governed Nigeria during its long battle with insurgency. It affirmed that Dr. Jonathan recognises that President Muhammadu Buhari, “like every patriotic Nigerian, stood firmly against terrorism and was himself a target of Boko Haram violence.”
It further highlighted a “common commitment to restoring peace and stability to Nigeria” shared by both men during their respective presidencies.
In closing, the Office of the Former President urged “the public to disregard any misinterpretation of his remarks.” It reinforced Dr. Jonathan’s ongoing commitment to “peace, unity, and the strengthening of democratic values in Nigeria.”
The statement concluded on a principled note, asserting the former leader’s belief 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 swift and detailed clarification aims to quell a potentially damaging political controversy, steering public focus back to the complex nature of the country’s security issues rather than on a misinterpreted remark from the past.
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