N’East group begs Jonathan, says politicians misled Nigerians

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, saying they were deceived by a former United States President and some desperate Nigerian politicians.

Speaking at a press conference in Maiduguri on Friday, the group’s National President, Grema Kyari, described the allegations as “lies” and insisted they were part of a grand strategy to remove Jonathan from office in 2015.

Kyari, who admitted he was among those who once believed the claims, said the group now recognises the accusations 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.