Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed reports claiming he was offered N500 billion to contest the 2027 presidential election against Peter Obi in a bid to split votes in Nigeria’s South-South region.
Jonathan, through a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Ikechukwu Eze, described the allegation as entirely fabricated, baseless and a deliberate attempt to drag him into unnecessary political controversy ahead of the 2027 general election.
The statement was in response to a report alleging that the former president disclosed receiving an offer of N500 billion to challenge Obi in the presidential race.
Rejecting the claim, Eze said the publication lacked the basic elements of credible journalism, including details of when and where Jonathan allegedly made the statement, the identities of those who supposedly made the offer, or any witnesses to substantiate the allegation.
According to him, the report bore all the hallmarks of fabricated news intended to mislead the public and heighten political tensions as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
āJonathan was never involved in the āN500 billion offer to divide the Southās votes against Peter Obi in the 2027 general elections.ā
Eze urged Nigerians to disregard the report and exercise caution by verifying sensational political claims before sharing them.
He warned that election seasons are often characterised by a surge in misinformation and false attributions, stressing that such reports should not be mistaken for verified facts. āJonathan has not made any statement suggesting he was offered money to contest the presidency or undermine any candidate.ā
The former president’s media aide maintained that Jonathan remains uninvolved in the alleged plot and cautioned against attempts to associate him with unfounded political narratives capable of misleading the public and inflaming tensions ahead of the next general election.
Erizia Rubyjeana
