Former President Goodluck Jonathan has denied reports claiming that he was offered N500 billion to contest against the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, in an attempt to split votes in the South-South.
Jonathan made the denial through his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Ikechukwu Eze, who described the report as false, baseless and a deliberate attempt to drag the former president into political controversy.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, Eze urged Nigerians to ignore the publication, saying it originated from a little-known website and falsely attributed the claim to Jonathan.
He added that the report lacked credibility and did not meet the basic standards of journalism.
“The report failed to state where or when Jonathan allegedly made such a claim, who was present or who purportedly made the alleged offer,” Eze said.
Jonathan’s spokesman said the publication had all the characteristics of fake news deliberately created to mislead the public and stir unnecessary political tension.
According to him, the report was a fabricated story intended to link the former president to claims he never made.
Eze also noted that as political activities increase ahead of future elections, the spread of misinformation and false claims has become more common.
He called on Nigerians to disregard the report completely and to verify sensational claims before sharing them.
