The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo has dismissed as fake news the report that the governor is about to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A chieftain of the PDP had told a news platform that the switch is imminent.
Taiwo Adisa, the chief press secretary on Monday dubbed the news as fake.
In a later statement, Adisa described the news as “a concocted falsehood from purveyors of fake news, who are bent on maligning the governor at all cost.”
Adisa maintained that contrary to the fake news report, which was published by the Daily Post, Governor Makinde has no plan to join any other party.
According to him, the governor has remained a strong pillar of the party for many years and is already leading the mission for its resurgence in the South-West.
Adisa stated that the report in question raised all the red flags of fake news, as it was based on unverifiable claims from an unidentified source.
He said if the journalist and the editors of the medium had done due diligence, such falsehood would not have found its way into the public sphere.
The media aide added that the attempt to launch the concocted story shortly after some media outfits had tried to exaggerate the governor’s exit from a WhatsApp platform that purportedly belongs to the PDP, is negatively ingenious.
He added that the publication is a clear signal that the war being waged against the Makinde Administration through fake news and false alarms is showing no sign of abating.
“This is the latest in the rounds of false reports and fake news, weapons which some individuals have employed to wage a needless war against the governor.
Makinde at the moment is the leader of the South West PDP and thus unthinkable that he would jump ship.
But a PDP chieftain claimed the governor wanted to leave PDD owing to certain disagreement between him and other leaders of the party.
He also told Daily Post that the governor would be joining the ADC as he has been engaging with chieftains of the party like Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu, a former Speaker in the State to have a smooth defection to ADC.
“Yes, you will see, he will soon leave the party. He is going to ADC. I am telling you, he will leave the PDP soon.
“He has been talking to those in ADC. I am telling you that he will soon leave PDP. After the local government election, he will leave PDP, the source told Daily Post.
Earlier report said Makinde quit the WhatsApp platform of the Oyo State PDP on Saturday after the Publicity Secretary of the party, Akeem Olatunji, demanded an explanation over a viral video.
His exit was followed by comments by other participants in the group, with some saying they were disappointed that the governor could be so intolerant.
But in a statement on Sunday, Adisa warned against raising false security alarms in Ibarapaland and Oke Ogun in the form of fake audio and video posts on social media in the state.
He equally warned purveyors of fake information to desist from such act so as not to plunge the state into crisis, stating that the after-effects of fake videos, false alarms and fake news could be disastrous.
