Former President Goodluck Jonathan has denied reports claiming he has stepped aside from the 2027 presidential race.

The denial comes in response to a recent news story alleging that the Otuoke-born statesman had decided not to run in order to preserve Southern unity.

While Jonathan has yet to formally declare his candidacy, strong indications suggest he has been quietly consulting with key stakeholders nationwide in pursuit of a possible second-term bid.

On Friday afternoon, his cousin, Azibaola Robert, dismissed the report in a post on his verified Facebook page, firmly stating that Jonathan never said he would not contest the 2027 election.

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 labelled the story as false and urged Nigerians to disregard it.

He also refuted the existence of the unnamed “Jonathan aide” cited in the article, describing the claim as fabricated.

According to Azibaola, although Jonathan has not publicly announced his intentions, he has not excluded himself from the race either.

“The former president has made it clear that he would not bow to pressure not to run, particularly from those whose motives are self-serving,” Azibaola added, though he did not specify when or how Jonathan might make his position official.