Supporters of NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi have resurfaced an old video they say shows former President Goodluck Jonathan linking ex–governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff, to Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram. The clips circulate online following remarks by Obi, and amid political disputes involving Sheriff’s comments about voting patterns in the north.
According to the reports, the video was filmed in April 2013 during a visit Jonathan made to Borno State. In the footage, Jonathan is described as referring to Sheriff, then associated with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), as a “friend” of Yusuf. Yusuf is said to have founded and led Boko Haram for years and died while in police custody after the group’s members were arrested following clashes with law enforcement.
The outlets also note that human-rights lawyer Femi Falana has previously alleged that Sheriff supported the group financially and made political arrangements with its members in the 2003 Borno governorship election. Separately, Sheriff had made remarks on Channels TV about Obi and Biafra-related divisions, which some Obi and NDC supporters have used to renew allegations about Sheriff’s alleged involvement with Boko Haram.
