Shehu, in a statement released on Friday in Abuja, labeled the assertion “false and misleading,” clarifying that neither Boko Haram’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf, nor its later leader, Abubakar Shekau, ever proposed Buhari for such a role.

Shehu pointed out that Boko Haram consistently viewed Buhari as an enemy, citing a 2014 bomb attack on his convoy in Kaduna as evidence. 

He traced the origin of the claim to a 2012 press conference in Maiduguri by a Boko Haram faction leader, Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz, who named Buhari and other northern elders as potential mediators. 

However, Shehu noted that Shekau, the group’s primary leader at the time, publicly disavowed Abdulaziz’s statement, denying his authority to speak for Boko Haram.

The former aide referenced a 2012 denial by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buhari’s political party at the time, issued through its National Secretary, Engr. Buba Galadima, who stated Buhari had no knowledge of any nomination. 

Additionally, CPC’s then National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin, accused Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government of exploiting the claim for political gain. 

Shehu quoted Fashakin’s assertion: “General Muhammadu Buhari has never been connected with any insurrection or insurgency against Nigeria. He remains a true patriot.”

Shehu further criticized Jonathan’s administration, alleging it exacerbated insecurity and suggesting the PDP may have supported a political wing of Boko Haram. 

He described Jonathan’s recent comments, made during a book launch in Abuja, as an attempt to “rewrite history” ahead of the 2027 presidential elections. 

“Dr. Jonathan should find a better narrative for 2027,” Shehu remarked, urging the former president to refrain from spreading misleading claims.

The controversy stems from Jonathan’s remarks at the launch of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, where he claimed Boko Haram nominated Buhari for peace talks during his presidency, a statement that has now sparked heated rebuttals.