Garba Shehu, former Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has refuted allegations by former President Goodluck Jonathan that Boko Haram insurgents once nominated Buhari as a mediator for peace talks with the Nigerian government.
In a statement issued on Friday, Shehu strongly denied Jonathan’s claims, categorically stating that “Muhammed Yusuf or Abubakar Shekau, the deceased leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist group, never nominated Muhammadu Buhari for any such role.” Shehu further emphasised that the leaders of the terrorist group, particularly Shekau, had consistently denounced Buhari, with their ideologies standing in direct opposition.
This rebuttal followed remarks made by Jonathan during the public presentation of Scars, a book authored by General Lucky Irabor, the former Chief of Defence Staff. In his speech, Jonathan had said that Boko Haram had nominated Buhari to lead their team in negotiations with the government, hoping that his leadership could bring about peace. “One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government,” Jonathan said, recalling the 2012 discussions.
Jonathan went on to express that had Buhari taken the reins of negotiations when he eventually became president, “it could have been an easy way to negotiate with them and they would have handed over their guns.” However, Jonathan lamented that despite the efforts, the insurgency still persists to this day.
In response, Shehu described Jonathan’s statements as a “false start” ahead of a possible presidential run in 2027. He stressed that the assertion of Boko Haram selecting Buhari as a mediator was “political fiction,” designed to cast doubt on Buhari’s role in the fight against terrorism. Shehu also highlighted an incident in 2014, when Buhari narrowly escaped a Boko Haram bomb attack in Kaduna, a reminder of the deep animosity between the former president and the terror group.
The confusion, Shehu explained, stemmed from a 2012 press conference held by a faction of Boko Haram led by Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz. This faction mentioned Buhari and other northern leaders as possible mediators, but their proposal was immediately rejected by the main leadership of Boko Haram, headed by Imam Abubakar Shekau. Buhari himself had denied any involvement, with his spokesperson, Buba Galadima, clarifying that Buhari had not been contacted by the group.
Shehu also recalled how the controversy surrounding the alleged mediation role of Buhari had been politicized ahead of the 2015 presidential elections. Rotimi Fashekun, the late publicity secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), accused the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led government of using the rumor for political gains, asserting that Buhari had no ties to the insurgency.
“The fact is, Buhari was never involved in any way with Boko Haram, neither directly nor indirectly,” Shehu added. “He has always been a patriot, focused on the unity and peace of Nigeria.”
