Boko Haram: Fresh war ensues between Presidency and Buhari

A fresh verbal scuffle ensued yesterday between the Presidency and General Muhammadu Buhari over the selection of General Buhari by the Boko Haram militants to negotiate on their behalf. General Buhari had declined the call, claiming that he does not have any link with the militants. He had equally avowed that the Boko Haram insurgence was a creation of the PDP. Buhari said this during a press briefing in Abuja yesterday.

However, in a swift reaction to his claim and indictment of the PDP, the presidency had stated that Buhari was not being truthful to himself and to the nation. The presidency equally claimed that it was amazing that the militants decided to choose Buhari out of the many past leaders in the North to negotiate on their behalf.
Senior special advicer to president on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe had in a reaction to Buhari’s claim asked him to give reasons why he feels PDP was behind the Boko Haram insurgence in the country. Okupe said that it was quite amazing and alarming that the group decided to pick Buhari out of the many leaders to mediate on their behalf.
Okupe said: “What amazes me here is the fact that they mentioned Gen. Buhari to be one of the mediators. So things are beginning to fall into place.
“And the reaction from the CPC does not help matters at all after all an elder statesman, Dr. Ali Mongunu, was also mentioned and the man has neither rejected nor said anything wrong but the CPC quickly disowned Boko Haram in a very suspicious and questionable manner.
“From my own perspective, it would appear to me that with the statement that is coming from Gen. Buhari that Boko Haram is a creation of PDP and that they should go and fix it, that he is economical with the truth.
“How does that apply to Boko Haram inviting him to mediate in its talks? Is it the government that asked Boko Haram to invite him? And even if it is PDP that created Boko Haram, why should they be asking for Buhari to mediate?”
Reacting to the Presidency’s position on the matter, Buhari’s spokesperson, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, referred to the several references made to Buhari on the matter as a mere blackmail that cannot hold the former military leader down.
Fashekin said “Buhari has said something very fundamental that he cannot mediate on behalf of a group he does not know.
“But they are making noise now because the PDP has seen that its evil plot to robe Buhari into Boko Haram saga has failed and they now want to resort to blackmailing him.
“Certainly, PDP is not happy that the CPC quickly decoded all their gimmicks and went ahead to stall them. The truth of the matter is that PDP is too naïve not to accept that its wicked plot to robe him into the Boko Haram saga has already failed woefully. They should know that CPC cannot fall into such a cheap blackmail.”