No Common Sense In What Ortom Said About Buhari Negotiating For Boko Haram – Presidency Fires Again

The presidency while responding to allegations that President Muhammadu Buhari was named as their negotiator by Boko Haram terrorists has described Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom as a liar.

The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu who made the submission on Saturday, was responding to an allegation that Buhari is treating the insurgents with kid gloves.

It will be recalled that Governor Ortom had stated that during President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure, the Boko Haram terrorists had named Buhari as their negotiator when the government wanted to enter into negotiations with them.

“You remember in 2012 or so. I was a minister at the time and we told Goodluck to try to negotiate with Boko Haram. When we called them (Boko Haram fighters) to negotiate, they said, ‘No’, that Buhari will be their coordinator. Buhari was not President then,” the governor alleged during an interview with BBC News Pidgin.

However, responding on Saturday in a separate interview with BBC News Pidgin also, presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu said Buhari never accepted to be the negotiator for the terrorists.

Shehu added that his principal had always openly condemned the activities of the terrorists even before he became the President and now that he is the president, he has been taking actions against them.

He, therefore, urged members of the public to ignore insinuations by Governor Ortom as they were all lies and attempts to malign the image of the president.

“There is no record anywhere that he accepted to be with them and he has denounced them over and over again and has rejected their creed.

“So, I think that statement by the governor is tautological and it doesn’t accord common sense,” he submitted.