Boko Haram Once Nominated Buhari As Their Negotiator – Goodluck Jonathan

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Boko Haram Once Nominated Buhari As Their Negotiator - Goodluck Jonathan

In a striking revelation made on October 3, 2025, former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan disclosed that during his administration, the terrorist group Boko Haram once nominated Muhammadu Buhari, who would later succeed him as president, as their preferred negotiator in peace talks with the Federal Government. Jonathan made this statement during the public presentation of Scars, a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, held in Abuja.

Jonathan explained that his government had established multiple committees to explore non-military solutions to the Boko Haram insurgency, which had escalated dramatically during his tenure. In one of those committee-led engagements, the insurgents surprisingly named Buhari as the person they trusted to represent them in negotiations.

Jonathan recounted his reaction to the nomination, saying he had hoped that Buhari’s eventual rise to the presidency would facilitate a peaceful resolution to the crisis. He believed that if the group had already expressed confidence in Buhari, his administration might have had an easier path to disarmament and reconciliation.

However, Jonathan lamented that the insurgency persisted long after Buhari assumed office, underscoring the complexity of the conflict.

The former president emphasized that Boko Haram was not merely a product of poverty or hunger, as often portrayed. He noted that his administration had tried various approaches, both military and diplomatic, but none succeeded in ending the group’s violent campaign. He described the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls as a “permanent scar” on his presidency, one that he would carry for the rest of his life. Jonathan urged future governments to adopt a carrot-and-stick strategy, combining incentives with pressure, to address the insurgency more effectively. He also raised concerns about the sophisticated weaponry used by Boko Haram, suggesting that external forces might be supplying arms to the group.

Jonathan expressed hope that someday, leaders of Boko Haram might be literate enough to document their motivations and actions, much like actors from the Nigerian Civil War eventually did. He believed such documentation could offer deeper insight into the group’s ideology and objectives, which remain shrouded in mystery.

In response to Jonathan’s claims, Garba Shehu, media aide to the late President Buhari, issued a strong rebuttal. He accused Jonathan of attempting to rewrite history ahead of the 2027 presidential elections and dismissed the notion that Boko Haram ever nominated Buhari as a mediator. Shehu pointed out that Buhari was, in fact, a target of Boko Haram’s violence, referencing a 2014 bomb attack in Kaduna that nearly claimed Buhari’s life. He also recalled Buhari’s public denial in 2012 of any knowledge of being nominated by the group, emphasizing that the late Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau had repeatedly denounced Buhari.

The controversy stems from a 2012 press conference in Maiduguri, where a Boko Haram faction led by Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz allegedly listed Buhari among other northern leaders as potential mediators. 

However, Shekau later disowned Abdulaziz’s claims, asserting that he had no mandate to make such declarations. Buhari’s political allies at the time also dismissed the reports, accusing Jonathan’s government of exploiting the situation for political gain.

Jonathan’s remarks have reignited debate over the handling of Boko Haram during his presidency and the broader challenges of counterinsurgency in Nigeria. His call for a more nuanced and multifaceted approach to resolving the crisis reflects ongoing frustrations with the limitations of military solutions and the need for deeper understanding of the insurgency’s roots.