North-East group apologises to Jonathan over terrorism allegations, urges 2027 comeback

A North-East group, under the aegis of Bring Back Our Goodluck, has apologised to former President Goodluck Jonathan over past allegations linking him to the sponsorship of terrorism in the region.

The group claimed it was misled by a former American president and some desperate Nigerian politicians.

At a press conference in Maiduguri on Friday, Grema Kyari, the group’s national president, described the allegations as “lies” and part of a grand strategy to remove Jonathan from office in 2015.

Kyari, who admitted he once believed the claims, said the group now recognises them as false and politically motivated.

“I come before you not only as the National Chairman of Bring Back Our Goodluck but as a witness to history and as a Nigerian who, like millions of others, was once misled.

“I am from Borno State, one of the epicentres of the Boko Haram insurgency. During the presidency of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a damaging narrative was that he sponsored Boko Haram and used the military to suppress us.

“These lies thrived in an environment of limited and restricted access to truth,” he said.

The group tendered a “heartfelt public apology” to Jonathan, saying that with broader exposure and clearer understanding, it now knows the allegations were baseless.

“We now recognise that he was a leader of integrity, compassion, and national vision. We now believe that President Jonathan was removed from office in 2015 as a result of regime change orchestrated by foreign powers in connivance with some desperate politicians in Nigeria,” Kyari added.

Highlighting Jonathan’s legacy, the group hailed him as a democrat who put the nation first. It cited his 2015 decision to concede defeat to Muhammadu Buhari before final election results were announced as a courageous act that prevented post-election violence and safeguarded Nigeria’s democracy.

Kyari also recalled Jonathan’s signing of the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act in January 2014, despite international pressure, saying it preserved Nigeria’s moral values in contrast to the recently signed Samoa Agreement, which he claimed undermines them.

He further noted Jonathan’s partial reversal of the 2012 fuel subsidy removal after nationwide protests, describing it as a show of humility, unlike the current government’s abrupt removal which, he said, has brought widespread hardship.

According to Kyari, Jonathan’s appointments were based on merit and competence, not tribal or political favouritism.

“He sought to unite rather than divide, a quality Nigeria desperately needs today,” Kyari stressed.

Calling for Jonathan’s return to politics, the group urged him to contest the 2027 presidential election.

“On behalf of Bring Back Our Goodluck, I call on all well-meaning Nigerians, from the North to the South, East to West, to join hands in urging Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, to once again answer the call of history. And in this moment of economic crisis, he deserves another chance to lead,” Kyari declared.