By Jane Okafor, Abuja
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has refuted insinuations suggesting that former President Muhammadu Buhari had any link with Boko Haram terrorist group that has been terrorising the northern part of Nigeria in the last 16 years.
Jonathan made the clarification following misleading reports in some sections of the media alluding that in his speech at the book launch of former Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, he linked the late ex – president to Boko Haram sect.
In a statement signed by his spokesman, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan said that his remarks were intended to illustrate the fluidity and deviousness of the tactics used by Boko Haram.
According to him, Boko Haram terrorist group often exploited respected public figures to sow confusion and manipulate people.
Jonathan wondered why anybody would link Buhari to Boko Haram, saying Buhari demonstrated strong commitment to peace and security of the nation.
The ex – President 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.
“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.”
