Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed claims that he was offered N500 billion to contest the 2027 presidential election against the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, to split votes in the South-east.

The allegation, published by an online platform, Igbo Times Magazine, claimed Jonathan was approached with the offer as part of a plan to weaken Obi’s electoral support in the region.

However, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Ikechukwu Eze, the former president described the report as false, baseless and a deliberate attempt to drag him into unnecessary political controversy ahead of the 2027 general election.

Eze said the publication falsely attributed the claim to Jonathan without providing any credible evidence or verifiable details, including when and where the alleged statement was made, who purportedly made the offer, or any witnesses to substantiate the allegation.

According to him, the report bears the hallmarks of fabricated news designed to mislead the public and fuel political tension.

“The former President was never involved in any alleged N500 billion offer to divide votes against Peter Obi in the 2027 general election,” the statement said.

Jonathan’s media aide urged Nigerians to disregard the report and exercise caution by verifying sensational political claims before sharing them.

He noted that the period leading up to elections is often characterised by the spread of misinformation and false attributions, warning that unverified reports should not be accepted as facts.

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

The former president has yet to publicly confirm or rule out interest in the 2027 presidential election, despite repeated assertions by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that he could emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.