Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed as false a media report alleging that he was offered ₦500 billion to contest the 2027 presidential election in order to split votes in the South-South region.
Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Ikechukwu Eze, rejected the claim in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, describing the publication as entirely false, baseless and fabricated.
Eze urged Nigerians to disregard the report, which he said was published by a little-known website that falsely attributed the claim to the former president.
According to him, the publication failed to meet the basic standards of journalism because it did not indicate where or when Jonathan allegedly made the statement, who witnessed it or who purportedly made the alleged offer.
“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 designed to mislead the public and drag Jonathan into unnecessary political controversy.
He noted that as the country approaches another election cycle, misinformation and false attributions are becoming more prevalent.
The presidential aide, therefore, urged Nigerians to disregard the report in its entirety and to verify sensational claims before sharing them.
He maintained that the allegation of a ₦500 billion offer to persuade Jonathan to contest the presidency was completely false and should not be taken seriously.
