Edo 2020: APC carpets PDP over false involvement of Professor Grace Alele-Williams in alleged propaganda of lies

 The State Media Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress for the Edo Governorship election has carpeted the PDP and incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki over ‘dishonorable and reprehensible’ decision to drag Professor Grace Alele-Williams into ‘desperate propaganda of lies’ allegedly aimed at its candidate Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. 

In a statement released by Mr. John Mayaki, the Chairman of the State Media Campaign Council, the APC accused the PDP of concocting an interview with Professor Grace Alele-Williams to ‘find roots for their baseless propaganda’ that Pastor Ize-Iyamu was involved in a non-existent scandal while he was a student of the University of Benin. 

He said: “It is dishonorable and reprehensible that Governor Godwin Obaseki and his PDP merchants have decided to drag the highly-respected Professor Grace Alele-Williams into their desperate propaganda of lies aimed at impugning the person of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and his distinguished stay at the prestigious University of Benin.”

“While Obaseki is yet to resolve the mystery surrounding his disputed admission to the University of Ibadan with three credits pass and the two differing certificates he claims to have originated from the same institution for a single degree, his propagandists, seeking to find roots for their baseless propaganda and campaign of lies, concocted a said interview with Professor Grace Alele-Williams where she purportedly alleged a number of things against Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as a student of the University of Benin when she was, as they claim, the Vice-Chancellor.” “But because falsehood is always susceptible to amnesia, they fail to give a consistent detail as regards the fictional event they wrote and published.

At the time of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu at the University of Benin, Professor Grace Alele-Williams although a high-staff was not the Vice-Chancellor. She would go ahead to later become so but had no dealing with Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu either directly or indirectly.” 

“This is a fact corroborated by Dr. Richard Oma Ahonaruogho, Past President of the UNIBEN Alumni Association who, without equivocation, emphasized that Pastor Ize-Iyamu and others who graduated in the same year with him had no issues with Professor Grace Adele-Williams, therefore, she could not have made the comments attributed to her by Governor Godwin Obaseki and his merchants.” 

“The inconsistency by Governor Obaseki clearly underscores the falsehood and maliciousness of these claims.” “Beyond falsehood, this inability to properly recall the well-documented records of the great Uniben reveals and proves of the same dispute made over Obaseki’s academic claims. There is no true student, present or alumnus, who would fail to correctly remember the holders of such designation as important and illustrious as the Vice-Chancellor.

Acting under the instructions of Obaseki, the failure of this fiction writers to present a narrative consistent with the then reality once again gives Obaseki out, emphasizing and casting light on the question set before him? Obaseki, did you go to school? Which year, what school, with what result, and under which Vice-Chancellor’s tenure?” 

“Instead of clearing the air by addressing these important questions, and then focus on running an issue-based campaign that would highlight his achievements and his intentions for the state, Obaseki and his nefarious PDP continue to dabble in miry pit of half-cooked propagandist lies.

A character like this, a man who does not mind muddying the reputation and integrity of an accomplished professor, just to satisfy his selfish end, is not worth presiding over Edo State.” 

“It is important to reiterate at this point that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who is undoubtedly innocent of this inconsistent fiction, is still committed to bringing progressive politics, democratic leadership, and developmental framework that will move Edo State forward and out of the dark slumps it has been run into by the clueless Obaseki.

All lovers of progress and development and democracy, who by default are all in support of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, can remain assured of our commitment to all the ideals that have made us the leading topic, the favorable movement, and the choice they made to follow.”