The Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organization has dismissed as false and misleading a purported front-page publication allegedly linking Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to a presidential ambition.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the spokesman of the organization, Chris Azebamwan, described the viral publication, styled to resemble the front page of Vanguard Newspaper, as a “fraudulent and digitally manipulated fabrication” aimed at misleading the public.
According to the campaign organization, Pastor Ize-Iyamu has neither declared interest in the presidency nor taken any step suggesting such ambition.
“The attention of the Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organization has been drawn to a fraudulent, digitally altered front page of Vanguard Newspaper alleging that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is pursuing a presidential ambition,” the statement read.
“We categorically state that this claim is entirely baseless and the product of clumsy digital manipulation engineered to mislead the public.”
The organization argued that the claim was inconsistent with current political realities, noting that Ize-Iyamu remains actively involved in the Edo South Senatorial primary process, with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party yet to announce the final outcome.
“It defies basic logic to suggest a presidential bid in the middle of an ongoing senatorial contest,” the statement added.
The campaign also emphasized Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s loyalty to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that he was among the earliest party stakeholders to publicly congratulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following his electoral victory and receipt of the Certificate of Return.
The organization accused political opponents of spreading misinformation through manipulated digital content and what it described as “AI-generated falsehoods.”
“The circulation of this poorly scripted fiction merely exposes the desperation of political detractors who, having run out of legitimate arguments, have resorted to weaponizing AI-generated falsehoods,” Azebamwan stated.
The campaign organization urged Nigerians and residents of Edo State to disregard the publication in its entirety, insisting that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu remains focused on the ongoing Edo South Senatorial process.
