Amid reports that he accused late President Muhammadu Buhari of links to the Boko Haram insurgents, former President Goodluck Jonathan has clarified his remarks at a book presentation on Friday, stating that he was misrepresented.
Clearing the air in a statement released on Saturday by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan insisted that at no time did he suggest, imply, or insinuate that late President Buhari had any connection with Boko Haram or that he supported the group in any form.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that reactions had trailed Jonathan’s remarks on Friday at the launch of Scars, a book written by former Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS) Lucky Irabor, where he recalled that Boko Haram once named Buhari among individuals they wanted to represent them in peace talks with the government.
Jonathan, who was president from 2010 to 2015, explained that the insurgents’ mention of Buhari came after his administration had set up committees to initiate dialogue with the group.
Reacting to the remarks however, Garba Shehu, a former presidential spokesman, dismissed the account as “false and politically motivated.”
But Eze explained that Jonathan’s remarks were aimed at highlighting Boko Haram’s deceptive tactics rather than implicating Buhari.
The statement said, “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.
“Dr Jonathan’s remarks, made in the course of a broader discussion on Nigeria’s security challenges, 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 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.
“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?
“For the avoidance of doubt, Dr Jonathan recognises that President Muhammadu 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.”
While therefor urging Nigerians to ignore the distorted reports, Eze emphasised that that Jonathan remained committed to peace, unity, and the consolidation of democracy in the country.
