Fact-Check: False! PDP’s Asue Ighodalo did not Step Down for Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata

BY: Mustapha Lawal 

Claim:

A viral letter purportedly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claims that its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, has stepped down from the Edo State election in favour of Labour Party candidate, Olumide Akpata.

Verdict:

False. The PDP has debunked this claim, labelling it as fake news orchestrated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to create confusion ahead of the Edo State governorship election.

Full Text:

In the lead-up to the Edo State governorship election, a letter allegedly from the PDP surfaced online, stating that Asue Ighodalo, the PDP’s candidate, had withdrawn from the race and endorsed Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party candidate. 

Photo Credit: Screenshot of the alleged letter || FCA

The letter, dated September 20, 2024, featured the PDP’s letterhead and appeared to bear the signatures of PDP officials, leading to significant confusion among the public. This letter circulated widely on social media and raised speculation about potential shifts in the political dynamics of the election.

Verification:

To verify this claim, FactCheckAfrica investigated official statements and press releases from the PDP. In a public press statement released on September 20, 2024, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, vehemently denied the claim, dismissing it as a fake news campaign by the APC.

According to Ologunagba, the APC forged the letter using the wrong PDP logo and falsified the signatures of key officials. He described the act as an attempt to manipulate the electorate ahead of the upcoming election and called it a reflection of APC’s fear of defeat. Furthermore, the PDP clarified that Asue Ighodalo remains fully in the race and is poised to compete in the election scheduled for September 21, 2024.

The PDP also urged the police to investigate the source of the fake letter and take appropriate action against those responsible for spreading false information.

Conclusion:

The claim that PDP’s governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, has stepped down for Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata is false. The PDP has officially debunked the claim and reaffirmed that Ighodalo is still running in the Edo State governorship election. Voters are advised to disregard the fake letter and seek credible information from official channels.