The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recently-conducted Edo governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has debunked speculations that he was under pressure from party leaders to accept defeat.
Ize-Iyamu said this in response to media reports on the subject, even as he urged the media to desist from speculative reporting.
He stated this in a statement signed by his Director of Communication and Media, Mr. John Mayaki, in Benin, on Thursday.
He said, “I was shocked this morning when I saw reports saying I begged Obaseki to return to APC after the election.
“While immediately responding to it, another one emerged. I will restate that I never begged him to return after the election. I deliberately did not reply when I saw all that rumour on the social media with people tagging me in them.
“Now, I saw another report in the media stating that APC leaders are mounting pressure on me to accept defeat. In all fairness to the national leadership of my party, they never mounted any pressure on me.
“So, I wonder where their source got information from. The public repossess a lot of trust in the media for authentic information. What happens when this trust is betrayed?”
Ize-Iyamu also reiterated his earlier position that he had yet to make up his mind on his next step.
According to him, “I already tweeted that I am studying the result and consulting widely on my next line of action. Speculative reporting must be condemned.
“When I make up my mind, I will let my supporters know. For now, patience is what I implore, not violence; not anger will help us now. Dignity will manifest in how we bounce back from this minor setback.”
In a related statement, Mayaki said, “We warned several times that the media should beware of fabrications from Obaseki and the PDP camp, but they did not listen.
“That is why they have reported that the election was free and fair, and that is why they have said our candidate appealed to Obaseki to come back to APC.
“The video in reference is from three months ago, not after the election, but doctored by Governor Obaseki media handlers to seek undue legitimacy.”
