Did former President Goodluck Jonathan really endorse opposition leader and candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi for the 2027 presidential election?
Let us find out.
A Facebook page called Nwa Ebonyi TV recently shared a video claiming that Jonathan was backing Obi’s 2027 presidential bid.
As you all know, Jonathan and Obi are from the southern part of the country. Both are 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 here.
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.
Watch here.
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.
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.
