Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed a media report alleging that he was offered ₦500 billion to contest against Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in a bid to split South-South votes.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media, Ikechukwu Eze, described the report as “entirely false and baseless.”

Eze urged Nigerians to disregard what he called a fabricated report that falsely attributed the claim to the former president.

According to him, the report failed to state where or when Jonathan allegedly made the statement, who was present, or who purportedly made the alleged offer.

He said the publication bore “all the hallmarks of fake news deliberately crafted” to mislead the public and drag Jonathan into unnecessary political controversy.

Eze noted that election seasons are often characterised by a surge in misinformation and false attributions.

He urged Nigerians to disregard the report in its entirety and verify sensational claims before sharing them.