- Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan did not endorse Peter Obi, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), for the 2027 presidential elections
- The endorsement claim stemmed from old footage repackaged to mislead the Nigerian public ahead of the 2027 elections
- A recent meeting between ex-President Jonathan and Obi was merely a consultation, not an endorsement
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja – Did former President Goodluck Jonathan really endorse opposition leader Peter Obi for the 2027 presidential election? Let us find out.
A Facebook page called Nwa Ebonyi TV shared a video claiming that Jonathan was backing Obi’s 2027 presidential bid.
Photo credit: @PeterObi
Source: Twitter
Fact check: Jonathan did not endorse Obi
Legit.ng reports that the post spread fast because it made political sense to a lot of people.
Similar posts can be seen on Facebook here, here, and here.
Jonathan and Obi are from the south, both widely respected figures within opposition circles, and the idea of a Jonathan endorsement ahead of 2027 was politically significant enough that many internet users quickly assumed it was real. But did it actually happen?
Verification on video related to Jonathan-Obi
Here is what our investigation found.
The video being circulated as proof of the alleged endorsement is not recent. It is old footage from December 24, 2022, that has been repackaged with new graphics and 2027-era captions to make it appear like a current political statement.
The actual video can be watched below:
We went further and traced the context of the footage.
On April 27, 2026, Obi visited Jonathan at his Abuja residence for a closed-door consultation meeting. The visit was part of ongoing political engagements ahead of the 2027 general elections and was widely reported by major media outlets.
A popular page on X (formerly Twitter), ADC Vanguard, posted it as well and described it as a high-level engagement and suggested discussions around presenting a single opposition presidential candidate for 2027. That framing was faulty, as Obi’s key ally, Yunusa Tanko, the national coordinator of Obidient Movement, came out to clarify that the meeting was just a consultation and there are no talks of endorsement currently. That’s the truth of the matter. A consultation is not an endorsement.
And here is where it gets even more interesting. At the same time this endorsement claim was spreading, Jonathan was separately addressing some political stakeholders in Abuja who came to his office, urging him to run for the presidency in 2027. He told them he would consult widely before making a decision to run or not.
So the Bayelsa-born former Nigerian leader, whom people claimed had endorsed another candidate’s presidential bid, may, in fact, end up contesting the election himself.
Photo credit: @KoleShittu
Source: Twitter
To be clear, Jonathan has not officially declared any interest in the 2027 presidential race, but he has not ruled it out either.
Verdict
What are the facts we know for certain? As of today, Friday, May 22, 2026, Jonathan did not endorse Obi for the 2027 election.
The video being circulated as proof is from 2022, when the meeting was a mere visit, not an endorsement.
Read more on Peter Obi:
Tinubu’s spokesman tackles Peter Obi
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Bayo Onanuga reacted after Obi said he remains committed to his vow to serve only one term if elected president.
Obi had said history has shown that purposeful leadership is not defined by how long one stays in power but by the impact made in a short time.
Onanuga, a spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, said Obi referencing the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela is “wrong”.
Source: Legit.ng