By Admin
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed reports alleging that he was offered ₦500 billion to contest against the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, in a bid to split votes in Nigeria's Southern region ahead of the 2027 general election.
Jonathan's position was made known in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Ikechukwu Eze, who described the report as entirely false, baseless and deliberately fabricated to mislead the public.
According to Eze, the publication, which claimed the former president disclosed being offered the huge sum to undermine Obi's electoral chances, lacked every basic element of credible journalism. He noted that the report failed to state where or when Jonathan allegedly made such a claim, who made the purported offer, or who witnessed the alleged conversation.
The media aide said the report appeared to have been deliberately concocted to drag the former president into needless political controversy and create unnecessary tension ahead of the election season.
Eze urged Nigerians to disregard the publication in its entirety, stressing that Jonathan never made such a statement and was not involved in any arrangement of the nature alleged in the report.
He further advised members of the public to verify sensational political stories before sharing them, warning that the approach of another election cycle often comes with an increase in misinformation, fake news and false attributions aimed at misleading citizens.
The former president's aide reiterated Jonathan's commitment to promoting peace, democracy and national unity, while calling on media organisations and the public to uphold truth, accuracy and responsible journalism in the dissemination of information.