TELL Magazine

Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, has refuted the news of his principal’s endorsement of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

The news of Obaseki’s touted endorsement of Obi had been supported with an old viral video in which Governor Obaseki, flanked by Obi and Doyin Okupe, his campaign director general, canvassed equity, inclusivity, and fairness in the choice of who emerges as president in 2023.

But reacting on Wednesday to the development, Osagie dismissed the news as “absolutely false and malicious”.

In a statement, the governor’s spokesperson said the story was being peddled by detractors with ulterior motives, intent on misleading and misinforming members of the public for their selfish interest.

According to him, “The news item in a section of the media, stating that Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has endorsed the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, is absolutely false and malicious.

“No statement to such effect originated from the governor. The story is being peddled by detractors with ulterior motives, intent on misleading and misinforming members of the public for their selfish interest.”

Osagie asserted that “Governor Obaseki has, from the onset of the electioneering cycle, been at the forefront of the campaign for our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa.

“The public is hereby warned to watch out for antics of quacks and unprofessional media organisations as well as unscrupulous individuals, seeking to misinform and stir confusion with their outright fake news.

“Obaseki, as the leader of the PDP in Edo State, will deploy his massive support base to ensure the victory of our party and its candidates in the forthcoming 2023 general elections”.