Garba Shehu, former Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has dismissed claims by former President Goodluck Jonathan that Buhari was once nominated by Boko Haram to mediate peace talks with the Federal Government.
In a statement titled ‘Boko Haram Did Not Nominate Buhari As Their Mediator’ issued on Friday, Shehu described Jonathan’s comment as ‘a false start’ ahead of a possible 2027 presidential bid.
Jonathan had made the remarks at the public presentation of ‘Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum,’ a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.), where he said Boko Haram insurgents once named Buhari as their preferred negotiator.
According to Jonathan, ‘One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government.
‘So I was feeling that, oh, if they nominated Buhari to represent them and have a discussion with the government committee, then when Buhari took over, it could have been an easy way to negotiate with them, and they would have handed over their guns. But it was still there till today.’
Reacting to the comment, Shehu accused Jonathan of attempting to distort facts for political gain, urging him to ‘look for another story to tell Nigerians.’
Shehu said, ‘Muhammed Yusuf or Abubakar Shekau, the deceased leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist group, never nominated Muhammadu Buhari for any such role. In fact, Shekau routinely denounced and threatened Buhari, and their ideologies were in direct opposition.’
He recalled that in 2014, Buhari narrowly escaped a bomb attack allegedly orchestrated by Boko Haram in Kaduna, which left some of his personal staff injured.
‘In 2014, Muhammadu Buhari escaped a bomb attack on his life by Boko Haram in Kaduna, in which his personal staff suffered various degrees of injury.
‘Buhari’s campaigns focused on fighting Boko Haram and restoring security to Nigeria whenever he became president, putting him in direct opposition to the terrorist group’s leader.’
Shehu further explained that reports of Buhari’s alleged nomination were based on misinformation spread by a faction of the terrorist group, possibly sponsored by political opponents, who held a press conference in Maiduguri claiming Buhari and other northern leaders had been chosen to mediate with the Federal Government.
‘What led to the misleading information was that a faction of the terrorist group, possibly sponsored by Buhari’s opponents, staged a press conference in Maiduguri, Borno State, through a certain Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz, who claimed to be the Boko Haram commander in charge of Southern and Northern Borno, saying that the sect would prefer the former military leader, General Muhammadu Buhari, ex-Yobe State governor and the then Senator, now late Bukar Abba Ibrahim, first Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Shettima Ali Monguno, also late, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Insecurity in the North-East, Ambassador Gaji Gatimari, and other prominent members of the Borno Emirate to mediate between them and the federal government.
‘Abdulaziz was roundly condemned by the leaders of Boko Haram, who claimed that he had ‘no mandate of their leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau.’
He also cited the response of the then Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which immediately denied the claim, quoting the party’s National Secretary, Engr. Buba Galadima, who said Buhari ‘has not even heard about it’ and described the report as mere speculation.
Shehu urged Jonathan to seek a more credible campaign narrative ahead of 2027, stating, ‘To win in 2027, Dr. Jonathan should look for a better story to tell Nigerians.’