The rumoured plan by the Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been attributed to those described as purveyors fake news.
Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, said the insinuation that Makinde is set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is “a concocted falsehood from purveyors of fake news, who are bent on maligning the governor at all cost.”
Adisa, in a statement on Monday, maintained that contrary to the fake news report, which was published by an online medium, Governor Makinde has no plan to join any other party.
According to him, Makinde has remained a strong pillar of the PDP for many years and is already leading the mission for its resurgence in the South-West.
Adisa said the report in question raised all the red flags of fake news, sayinh it was based on unverifiable claims from an unnamed source, adding that 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 said, 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.
Adisa said: “There is a concocted lie doing the rounds about Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State planning to dump the PDP.
“This rumoured planned defection is the latest in the rounds of false reports and fake news, weapons which some individuals have employed to wage needless war against the governor.
“It becomes imperative to attack the hydra-headed monster of fake news and false reports and this particular report raised all the red flags of fake news, as it was based on alleged hints from an individual who claimed not to want his name in print.
“The noble profession of journalism dictates that if a party makes insinuations about another party, the second party’s response should be sought. The reporter in question had access to the media unit of the governor but he chose to fly with the falsehood.
“This is the kind of story that would have had its place in the dust bins if the reporter and editors of the medium did due diligence on it.
“However, knowing that there is an agenda by some people to derail the Makinde administration with fake news, it is clear that any news, no matter how false or unverified, will be allowed to scale through the gate-keepers in the media, some of who are their allies.”
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Adisa maintained that apart from the governor not contemplating joining ADC or any other party for that matter, he would also not be distracted by the ridiculous lies being circulated by the enemies within and without.
“But we need to make something clear: no matter the amount of falsehood through fake news and false alarms, Governor Makinde will continue to remain focused on the mandate of developing Oyo State.
“If the purveyors of fake news and unscrupulous elements seeking to derail the administration think that their actions will slow down Governor Makinde in his determined pace to develop Oyo State, then they should have a rethink,” the statement added.
