President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba has reacted to claims made by the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki that the former president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration cleared the Northeast of Boko Haram terrorists to make elections possible in 2015.
Speaking in reaction to the claims made by the former NSA in a foreword he worte for a newly-published book entitled “Boko Haram Media War, An Encounter with the Spymaster,” authored by a media consultant and public relations professional, Yushau Shuaib, the President’s aide stated in a statement released last night that the claims made by the former NSA was untrue adding that it is aimed at misleading Nigerians.
Garba Shehu in the statement stated: “The superlative claims by the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki that the Goodluck Jonathan administration cleared the Northeast of Boko Haram terrorists to make elections possible in 2015 is untrue and should be dismissed as an attempt to deceive Nigerians with blatant lies.”
He added: “The claim as contained in a new book by a journalist is just another unfortunate attempt by inglorious Nigerians to rewrite the history of our country in such a way as to cover the sins of the past.
“We will have to read the entire text to offer a full and adequate response. As a public relations goon for the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, the author did not surprise anyone by dismissing the acclaimed successes of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in the fight against Boko Haram, claiming that this government simply took the glory for the achievements of the previous government in the war against terrorism.
“For those interested in the facts, as at the time elections were held in March 2015, a number of local government areas in northeast Nigeria were completely under the control of Boko Haram?to the extent that elections in those areas had to be moved to safe areas.
“The residents of areas such as Gwoza, Banki, Kukawa, Monguno, Bulumba, Baga, Gamboru Ngala, Dikwa, Mafa, etc., were able to vote, not in their hometowns but in refugee camps in other parts of Borno State, under special arrangements made by INEC. The truth, as a matter of fact is that the monster of terrorism got bigger and more daring due to the incompetence and misgovernance of the last administration and no amount lies and fiction can change that.”