Garba Shehu has refuted ex-President Jonathan’s claim that Boko Haram once nominated Muhammadu Buhari as a peace negotiator, calling it false and politically driven.
Former presidential spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, has dismissed claims by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan that late former President Muhammadu Buhari was once nominated by Boko Haram insurgents to negotiate peace with his administration.
In a statement issued on Friday, Shehu described Jonathan’s position as false and politically motivated, warning that if the former leader was preparing a 2027 presidential bid, “he is making a false start.”
“Muhammed Yusuf or Abubakar Shekau, the deceased leaders of Boko Haram, never nominated Muhammadu Buhari for any such role. In fact, Shekau routinely denounced and threatened Buhari,” Shehu said, recalling that Boko Haram even attempted to assassinate Buhari in 2014.
Shehu cited statements from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) leadership in 2011 and 2012, in which Buhari denied knowledge of any nomination, dismissing the reports as “speculation” possibly sponsored by political opponents.
He also accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of weaponizing insecurity for political gain, alleging that a “political Boko Haram” faction was linked to Jonathan’s government.