2027 Election: Jonathan Reacts to Report Alleging He Was Offered N500 Billion to Split Obi’s Votes
- Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan denied being offered N500 billion to contest against Peter Gregory Obi
- Jonathan's aide labelled the media report as baseless and designed to create political controversy ahead of the 2027 general elections in Nigeria
- The former president's camp advised Nigerians to verify sensational claims amid rising misinformation and fabrications ahead of the polls
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - Former President Goodluck Jonathan has quashed a media report alleging that he was offered N500 billion to contest against Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to Vanguard, the report claimed that the ex-Nigerian leader was offered the huge sum to split the south-south votes ahead of the 2027 elections.
Source: Twitter
Jonathan denies vote-splitting allegation
But reacting to the speculation through Ikechukwu Eze, his special adviser on media, Jonathan, in a statement on Sunday, July 5, described the publication as baseless and entirely false.
The Nation quoted Eze as saying:
“The report failed to state where or when Jonathan allegedly made such a claim, who was present or who purportedly made the alleged offer."
Furthermore, Eze noted that the publication intended to drag the former president into unnecessary political controversy.
While acknowledging that the approach of a political season often brings a surge in misinformation and falsehoods, he urged Nigerians to disregard the report in its entirety and verify sensational claims before sharing them.
'Jonathan did not endorse Obi'
A Facebook page called Nwa Ebonyi TV shared a video claiming that Jonathan was backing Obi's 2027 presidential bid.
The post spread fast because it made political sense to a lot of people.
Similar posts can be seen on Facebook here, here, and here.
Jonathan and Obi are from the south, both widely respected figures, and the idea of a Jonathan endorsement ahead of 2027 was politically significant enough that many internet users quickly assumed it was real. But did it actually happen?
Here is what we found: The video being circulated as proof of the alleged endorsement is not recent. It is old footage from December 24, 2022, that has been repackaged with new graphics and 2027-era captions to make it appear like a current political statement.
Source: Twitter
Court rejects suit against Jonathan
Meanwhile, Justice Peter Lifu of the federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Delivering judgement, Justice Lifu also awarded a N20 million fine against Jideobi and in favour of the ex-president. He equally awarded a 1 million fine against the plaintiff and in favour of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF).
Justice Lifu held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having not suffered any loss from his perceived Jonathan’s intention to vie for the 2027 poll.
Read more on Peter Obi
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Tinubu's spokesman tackles Peter Obi
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Bayo Onanuga reacted after Obi said he remains committed to his vow to serve only one term if elected president.
Obi had said history has shown that purposeful leadership is not defined by how long one stays in power but by the impact made in a short time.
Onanuga, a spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu, said Obi referencing the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela is "wrong".
Source: Legit.ng
