Buhari Never Nominated by Boko Haram, Shehu Dismisses Jonathan’s Claim

Former presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu has rejected claims made by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan that Boko Haram once chose Muhammadu Buhari as its preferred negotiator in peace talks with the Nigerian government.

Jonathan had made the assertion during the presentation of a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, in Abuja, suggesting that his administration had considered Buhari as a potential intermediary with the terrorist group.

Shehu, who served as Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Buhari, dismissed the claim, stating that Boko Haram never appointed Buhari for any negotiation role.

He recalled that past reports linking Buhari to the sect in 2012 were politically motivated and immediately denied by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the party Buhari led at the time.

Shehu highlighted that the deceased Boko Haram leaders, including Muhammed Yusuf and Abubakar Shekau, consistently opposed Buhari, threatening his life and carrying out attacks against him, including a bomb attempt in Kaduna in 2014.

He said Buhari’s political career focused on combating Boko Haram and restoring security in Nigeria.The former aide also accused Jonathan’s statement of having political undertones, suggesting it could be an attempt to support future ambitions.

He cited previous criticisms by CPC officials who described the PDP-led government as politically exploiting Boko Haram for diversionary purposes, and noted that Boko Haram had fractured into criminal and political factions, separate from its original extremist ideology.

Shehu insisted that Buhari had no knowledge of any alleged nomination by the terrorist group and that any assertions otherwise were false. The rebuttal reinforces the long-standing narrative that Buhari’s administration has consistently positioned itself against Boko Haram rather than collaborating with it.