The opposition party has alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan might know more about Boko Haram than he is saying.
It comes in the limelight of disclosures made by the Australian Stephen Davis, who had alleged that the former Chief of Army Azubuike Ihejirika and ex Borno State governor Ali Modu Sheriff were among major insurgency sponsors in the country.
According to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jonathan demonstrated a shocking act of indiscretion by closely communicating with Sheriff, who is believed to be under investigation over the sponsorship allegation, P.M. News reports.
The accusations follow the president’s decision to travel to Chad together with Sheriff. It would be noted that many Nigerians took to social media to express their rage over Jonathan’s move, as they queried why would the ex-governor accompany the acting president.
The APC statement released September 9 in London by party National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, read in part:
“This action by President Jonathan confirms what the APC has always believed: That the President either knows more than he is willing to admit on the issue of those who are behind the Boko Haram insurgency or he is willing to sacrifice the battle against terrorism on the altar of political expediency. Either way, this action by the President is the height of indiscretion at best, or a palpable exhibition of callowness at worst.”
They opposition party also referred to the fact that Jonathan “cannot pretend not to be aware of a report sent home by Nigeria’s Defence Adviser in Ndjamena, Chad, in 2011, detailing the suspicious activities of Modu Sheriff in Chad concerning alleged Boko Haram sponsorship and asking the Federal Government to investigate him”.
Taking into consideration all these allegations by several sources against Ali Modu Sheriff and the hard times Nigeria was experiencing in connection with the terrorists’ activities, the APC stressed that Jonathan’s move to travel to Chad with the former governor was a “joke taken too far”, if it was one.
Meanwhile Sheriff speaking on the incident had previously expressed his shock over the allegations posed by the Australian and even threatened to sue Davis characterizing those linking him with the sect either as “ignorant” or “completely out for mischief”.
