Rev Olu Martin, the Deputy Director-General of the Asue Ogie Campaign Management, has described as fake the news making the rounds that the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for the September 21, 2024 election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has been disqualified from contesting the election.

Martin described Ighodalo’s purported disqualification by the Court of Appeal as “a concocted story, fake, imaginary, diabolical and satanic creation of the warped minds of the opposition.”

In a statement made available to newsmen in Benin, the campaign leader said, “Contrary to the fake news being peddled by merchants of lies and propaganda, no Appeal Court ruling has disqualified Dr. Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the PDP in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

“The rudderless opposition, in a bid to divert attention from its total rejection by the people of Edo State, having seen through its unpreparedness for the election, had gone to town with fake news that Ighodalo has been disqualified. It’s not true. It’s fake news.

“We call on the good people of Edo State and the nation at large to disregard the fake news. This is criminal forgery and that is even putting it mildly.

“They are liars and propagandists. This is their trademark. They have nothing to offer the people of Edo State.

“Ighodalo remains a high-flying, bona fide candidate of the PDP and he is in the race for the election in 45 days’ time.

“Our candidate enjoys massive acceptance across all the three senatorial zones, and he is more than ready to lead Edo State as a chief servant to a new dawn of prosperity for all.”

The social media was on Monday awash with the claim that the Court of Appeal ruled on interlocutory summons among other issues canvassed by the reinstated Edo State governor, Philip Shaibu, and others.