‘Entirely False’ — Jonathan Refutes Report Alleging N500bn Offer to Contest Against Obi

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has refuted a media report alleging he was offered N500 billion to contest against Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and split south-south votes.

A statement on Sunday by Ikechukwu Eze, special adviser on media to the ex-president, described the report as “entirely false and baseless”.

Eze called on Nigerians to disregard the “fabricated” report which “falsely” attributed a statement to Jonathan claiming that he was offered such an amount.

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

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

He noted that the approach of a political season often brings a surge in misinformation and false attributions.

Eze, however, urged Nigerians to disregard the report in its entirety and verify sensational claims before sharing them.

BACKGROUND

The report, which circulated on Facebook on Sunday, claimed that Jonathan said he was offered N500 billion to contest against the former governor of Anambra state but rejected the offer.

Since May, reports have been rife suggesting that Jonathan is considering a comeback to contest the 2027 presidential election under the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The speculation gained momentum on May 30 when the PDP faction announced the former president as its presidential candidate for the next general election.

The party ratified Jonathan’s candidacy at a special national convention held at its office in Area 10, Garki district, Abuja.

The faction also said a date for the formal presentation of the party’s flag to Jonathan would be announced in due course.

However, the flag had yet to be presented, even as the July 11 deadline for the submission of presidential nomination forms to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) draws near.