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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Jonathan dismisses report of N500bn offer to run against Obi in 2027

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has vehemently denied reports claiming he was offered 500 billion naira to run against Peter Obi in 2027.
  • Jonathan's media aide called the reports "entirely false and baseless," attributing them to fake news designed to mislead the public.
  • The denial comes amid ongoing speculation about Jonathan's potential return to politics for the 2027 general election.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has strongly refuted claims that he was offered 500 billion naira to contest the 2027 presidential election against Peter Obi, a move allegedly intended to split votes in the South-South region. His Special Adviser on Media, Ikechukwu Eze, dismissed the reports circulating on Facebook as "entirely false and baseless" and fabricated.

The report failed to state where or when Jonathan allegedly made such a claim, who was present or who purportedly made the alleged offer.

— Ikechukwu EzeHighlighting the lack of credible details in the report about the alleged N500 billion offer.

Eze criticized the report for lacking fundamental details, such as where or when Jonathan allegedly made such a statement, who was present, or who made the purported offer. He stated that the publication bore "all the hallmarks of fake news deliberately crafted" to mislead the public and involve the former president in unnecessary political controversy. Jonathan, Eze added, was never part of any "N500 billion offer to divide the South’s votes against Peter Obi in the 2027 general elections."

The publication bore all the hallmarks of fake news deliberately crafted to mislead the public and drag the former president into unnecessary political controversy.

— Ikechukwu EzeDescribing the nature of the fabricated report concerning Goodluck Jonathan.

The former president urged Nigerians to disregard the report entirely and exercise caution by verifying sensational political claims before circulating them. Eze warned that misinformation and fake attributions often surge during election build-ups.

Jonathan has not made any statement suggesting he was offered money to contest the presidency or undermine any candidate.

— Ikechukwu EzeDirectly refuting the claims about Goodluck Jonathan's involvement in a financial offer for political purposes.

This denial surfaces amidst persistent speculation about Jonathan's potential return to frontline politics ahead of the 2027 general election. Reports since May have suggested the former president is considering a presidential comeback under a specific faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This speculation intensified on May 30 when that faction announced Jonathan as its presidential candidate for 2027 after a special convention, though a formal presentation has yet to occur.

Disregard the report entirely and exercise caution by verifying sensational political claims before circulating them.

— Ikechukwu EzeAdvising the public on how to handle unsubstantiated political claims.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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