By John Umeh
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has debunked reports claiming he accused the late President Muhammadu Buhari of having links to Boko Haram, insisting his comments at a public event were taken out of context.
In a statement released on Saturday by his media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan made it clear he neither alleged nor implied that Buhari supported or was associated with the extremist group.
The clarification comes after reactions to remarks Jonathan made on Friday at the launch of Scars, a book written by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor. At the event, Jonathan recalled how, during his administration, Boko Haram had named Buhari among prominent Nigerians they wanted to represent them in proposed peace talks with the government.
Eze explained that the former president’s remarks were not meant as an indictment of Buhari but as an illustration of Boko Haram’s deceptive tactics at the time. The group, he said, frequently invoked the names of respected individuals—often without their consent—to confuse the public, manipulate negotiations and undermine confidence in government.
Jonathan’s office noted that if Buhari was truly the group’s choice as a negotiator, it was curious that the insurgency continued unabated when Buhari became president. Nevertheless, Jonathan emphasised that Buhari, like himself, stood firmly against terrorism and was even targeted by Boko Haram.
“The former president’s comments were grossly misrepresented,” Eze said. “Dr Jonathan recognises that President Buhari, like every patriotic Nigerian, fought terrorism and shared a commitment to restoring peace and stability in the country.”
Jonathan urged Nigerians to disregard what he described as misleading interpretations of his words, reaffirming his dedication to peace, unity and the strengthening of democracy in Nigeria.
