Media reports that Ize-Iyamu begged Obaseki to return to APC are MISLEADING

LINDA Ikeji’s blog on Thursday, September 24, 2020 reported that Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the September 19, 2020,  Edo State gubernatorial election has begged Godwin Obaseki to return to the APC.

Obaseki, who is the incumbent governor of the state, won the election for a second term. He was initially in the APC but moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prior to the election.

Edo is a state in southern Nigeria.

Linda Ikeji’s blog, in the news published on their website and archived here, stated that Ize-Iyamu, the APC candidate in the Edo governorship election, has called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to return to APC.

“Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the APC governorship candidate in the Saturday, September 19 governorship election in Edo state, has called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to return to APC.

“Recall that in June 2020, Obaseki defected from the APC to the PDP following his running battle with his predecessor and former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomole. The battle between both men led to Obaseki being disqualified from the APC governorship primaries. Obaseki immediately defected to PDP where he was able to secure the party’s governorship ticket and won the election.

“In a television broadcast on Wednesday night September 23, Ize-Iyamu appealed to Obaseki to return to the APC,” the news read in part.

The news was also published by some mainstream media outlets in Nigeria, including The Punch, ThisDay and Daily Post.

Although, the Punch and Thisday newspapers have deleted the news reports from their website, Dailypost, Lailasnews and Allnewsng still have the reports on their websites as at 1.30pm on Thursday, September, 24, 2020.

Having discovered that the report is “untrue”, The Punch has apologised to Ize-Iyamu “for the embarrassment this story might have caused him.”

THE CLAIM:

That after the Edo governorship election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu  begged Godwin Obaseki, his opponent to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

THE FINDINGS:

Findings by the FactCheckHub revealed that Linda Ikeji’s blog and other news websites relied on an old video in writing the report.

Earlier, Ize-Iyamu was seen in a video posted here appealing to Godwin Obaseki, his opponent to return to the APC although the video was released three months ago, before the election took place.

Similarly, the Director of Communication and Media of the Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation, John Mayaki, in a reaction to the media report, stated that the news is not true. He added that the video in circulation was released three months ago.

He also stated that Ize-Iyamu has not addressed the press after the election.

THE VERDICT:

The claim that Osagie Ize-Iyamu has begged Godwin Obaseki, his opponent to return to the APC is MISLEADING. Linda Ikeji blog and other news websites relied on an old video in writing their reports.