Contrary to the speculations that Dr Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State was considering running for the Senate, his media team has described the rumour as baseless.
Responding to an article written by one Comrade Robinson Akhenoba which claimed that the PDP’s candidate was nursing the ambition to contest for the Esan Central senatorial seat, the Team Asue Media Organisation (TAMO) further described it as a figment of the idle and warped mind of those behind it.
TAMO, in a statement signed by Erhabor Emokpae on Saturday in Benin City, said, “Asue Ighodalo has not expressed any interest in pursuing a senatorial bid. The suggestion that he is discreetly consulting with key stakeholders and building support for a senatorial campaign is entirely unfounded.”
The team said the article was a deliberate but futile move to hoodwink the public and distract it from the ongoing efforts to reclaim the stolen mandate freely given to Ighodalo by Edo people in the September election.
“The attention of Team Asue Media Organisation (TAMO) has been drawn to an article circulating in the media, authored by one Comrade Robinson Akhenoba, which falsely claims that Asue Ighodalo, the recent governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, is preparing to contest for a Senate seat in the upcoming Esan Central by-election. We categorically deny this baseless speculation.
“Asue Ighodalo has not expressed any interest in pursuing a senatorial bid. The suggestion that he is discreetly consulting with key stakeholders and building support for a senatorial campaign is entirely unfounded. At no point has Ighodalo considered this path, nor has he initiated discussions with any party leaders or stakeholders regarding the by-election.
“The article in question appears to be a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and distract from the ongoing efforts to seek justice in the aftermath of the shambolic Edo State governorship election,” the statement read.
It also stressed that Ighodalo remained focused on pursuing the restoration of the mandate that was allegedly stolen from the people of Edo State during the September 2024 election.
“His commitment to democracy and good governance remains unwavering, and his priority is ensuring that the will of the people is upheld,” TAMO said.
The team urged the public to disregard the speculative reports but to remain focused on the issues that truly matter to the future of Edo State. “Asue Ighodalo’s current efforts are dedicated to the legal and democratic processes aimed at restoring electoral integrity in the state,” Emokpae said in the statement.
While stating that it will continue to provide timely and accurate information regarding any developments in this regard, the media team cautioned against the spread of false information that seeks to divert attention from the issues at hand.