Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed reports claiming he was offered N500 billion to contest the 2027 presidential election against Peter Obi, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in a bid to split votes in the South-South, describing the allegation as completely false.
In a statement issued by Ikechukwu Eze, his Special Adviser on Media, Jonathan said the story circulating on social media was fabricated and designed to drag him into needless political controversy.
According to the statement, the report falsely attributed comments to the former president without identifying when or where the alleged remarks were made, or providing any evidence to support the claim.
Eze said the publication lacked credibility and bore the characteristics of deliberate misinformation intended to mislead the public as political activities ahead of the 2027 general election gather momentum.
He urged Nigerians to ignore the report and exercise caution by verifying politically sensitive claims before sharing them.
The media aide noted that the approach of every election cycle often brings a wave of fake news and false attributions involving prominent political figures, warning that Jonathan should not be linked to stories without factual basis.
The report in question, which circulated widely on Facebook, alleged that Jonathan rejected a purported N500 billion offer to challenge Obi in the 2027 presidential election.
The denial comes amid continued speculation over Jonathan’s political future following reports that the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) adopted him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election during a special convention held in Abuja in May.
Although the faction announced his nomination, it is yet to formally present him with the party’s flag as the deadline for submission of presidential nomination forms to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) approaches.
