Former President Goodluck Jonathan has denied reports claiming he has opted out of the 2027 presidential election.
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The rebuttal followed a publication alleging that the former Nigerian leader had decided not to run in order to protect Southern unity.
Although Jonathan has not officially declared his candidacy, strong indications suggest he has been holding nationwide consultations to actualise a second-term bid.
In a statement on Friday, his cousin, Azibaola Robert, debunked the report in a post on his verified Facebook page, stressing that Jonathan never said he would not contest.
Azibaola was reacting to a Newsweek Nigeria article titled “Jonathan Rejects Pressure to Contest in 2027, Says He Won’t Be Used Against Southern Unity.”
He described the story as fake and urged Nigerians to disregard it, clarifying that the supposed “aide of Jonathan” cited as a source in the report does not exist.
He added that while Jonathan has not announced his decision to run, he has equally not ruled himself out.“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,” Azibaola stated, without specifying when Jonathan might formally declare his ambition.
