Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed claims that he was offered ₦500 billion to contest against the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, in order to split votes in the South-South geopolitical zone.
The allegation, which has circulated online, was described by Jonathan’s camp as false and without any factual basis.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media, Ikechukwu Eze, said the former president never made such a claim, urging Nigerians to ignore the report.
Eze described the publication as “entirely false and baseless,” insisting that it was fabricated to drag Jonathan into political controversies ahead of future elections.
According to him, the report failed to provide any evidence to support its claims, including where the alleged statement was made, when it was made, who was present at the time, or who supposedly made the offer.
He said the story bore “all the hallmarks of fake news deliberately crafted” to mislead the public and create unnecessary political tension.
Eze noted that the approach of election seasons often comes with an increase in misinformation, false narratives and fabricated statements attributed to public figures.
He therefore appealed to Nigerians to disregard the report in its entirety and exercise caution by verifying sensational political claims before sharing or believing them.
Jonathan’s media aide maintained that the former president remains focused on issues of national interest and should not be linked to stories lacking credible sources or verifiable facts.
A netizen, Friday Olokor in his reaction said: “Everyone wants to use Jonathan to trend and draw online traffic. He’s the most insulted President. Thanks Dr Ikechukwu Eze for the clarification.”
