Former President Goodluck Jonathan has denied reports suggesting that he has abandoned plans to contest the 2027 presidential election, describing the claims as false and misleading.
The clarification followed a publication by Newsweek Nigeria, which claimed that Jonathan had opted not to pursue a comeback bid in order not to disrupt Southern unity ahead of the polls.
But, on Friday, Jonathan’s cousin, Azibaola Robert, debunked the report in a statement on his verified Facebook page, stressing that the former president never said he would not run in 2027.
“The story is completely false. Former President Jonathan never said he would not contest in 2027. The so-called aide quoted in the publication does not exist,” Azibaola stated.
Azibaola specifically faulted the story titled “Jonathan Rejects Pressure to Contest in 2027, Says He Won’t Be Used Against Southern Unity”, describing it as fake news and urging Nigerians to disregard it.
He further noted that though Jonathan had not yielded to calls asking him not to contest, insisting such admonitions were driven by self-interest.
“The former president has made it clear that he would not yield to calls not to run, since those making such admonitions had selfish motives,” he added, without giving a timeline for a possible declaration.
Although Jonathan has not formally announced his candidacy, there are strong indications of ongoing nationwide consultations with political stakeholders. His potential return has sparked debates around power rotation, Southern consensus, and the prospect of a former leader returning to office.
