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A civic group, Edo People for Good Governance, has condemned former Edo State Governor Senator Adams Oshiomhole for allegedly spreading falsehoods about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
In a statement on Sunday signed by its convener, Bright Omorodion, the group criticised Oshiomhole's "continuous lies and misrepresentations" aimed at discrediting Ighodalo ahead of the state's governorship election.
Oshiomhole recently claimed that Ighodalo has never spent a night in his country home, a statement made during an All Progressives Congress (APC) event welcoming back ousted Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu to the party.
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The group refuted this, stating that Oshiomhole has visited Ighodalo's country home multiple times.
"Oshiomhole has consistently raised irrelevant and baseless issues about Asue Ighodalo, distracting from the real matters of governance and development," Omorodion said.
He added, "Initially, he claimed that Asue Ighodalo did not grow up in Edo, then alleged that he could not speak his native language, and now absurdly asserts that he has never slept in his village house.
"These claims are not only false but completely irrelevant to the pressing issues of good governance and development in Edo State."
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The statement highlighted personal interactions between Oshiomhole and Ighodalo, noting that Oshiomhole attended the funerals of Ighodalo's family members and stayed in Ighodalo's country home.
"These personal interactions show that Oshiomhole is deliberately lying about Ighodalo to deceive the public," Omorodion emphasised.
Oshiomhole, APC urged to focus on real issues
The group urged the APC to cease personal attacks and focus on substantive issues like education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development.
"The future of Edo State depends on honest, transparent, and effective leadership. We urge the people of Edo to see through the lies and deceit and to demand a higher standard of discourse from those who seek to lead," the statement concluded.