Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed reports claiming he has withdrawn from the 2027 presidential race to preserve Southern unity.

The rebuttal came through his cousin, Azibaola Robert, who in a post on his verified Facebook page on Friday described the publication as false.

He faulted a report by Newsweek Nigeria titled “Jonathan Rejects Pressure to Contest in 2027, Says He Won’t Be Used Against Southern Unity”, insisting that Jonathan never made such a statement.

According to him, the supposed “aide of Jonathan” quoted in the report does not exist.

“While the former president has not yet declared his ambition, he has equally not ruled himself out of the race,” Azibaola clarified, adding that Jonathan would not be swayed by those urging him not to run, whom he described as acting out of selfish interest.

Although Jonathan has not officially declared his intention, political observers note that he has been holding nationwide consultations that could signal a revival of his presidential ambition.