Former President Goodluck Jonathan has refuted reports claiming he has stepped aside from the 2027 presidential race.
The rebuttal followed a publication alleging that the Otuoke-born statesman had declined to contest in order not to jeopardise Southern political unity.
Although Jonathan has yet to officially declare his candidacy, there are indications that he has been holding consultations across the country ahead of a possible bid.
On Friday, his cousin, Azibaola Robert, dismissed the report in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page. He insisted that Jonathan never said he would not contest the 2027 election.
Azibaola was reacting to a Newsweek Nigeria story titled “Jonathan Rejects Pressure to Contest in 2027, Says He Won’t Be Used Against Southern Unity.” He described the report as false and urged Nigerians to disregard it, adding that the so-called “aide of Jonathan” quoted in the story was fictitious.
“While the former president has not formally declared his intention, he has also not ruled himself out of the race,” Azibaola said.
He further stressed that Jonathan would not bow to pressure from those urging him not to run, insisting such calls were driven by selfish motives.
