FACT CHECK: Fake photo of Oshiomhole ‘voting for PDP’ in circulation

Oshiomhole
The original photograph of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole casting his ballot is on the left, while the fake one is on the right

The fake news manufacturers are at it again, as they’ve already come out with a doctored photograph of the former Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, purportedly casting his ballot for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Osbiomhole, the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), at about 10:55 a.m. on Saturday cast his vote in Ward 10 (Uzairue North East), polling unit 1 of Etsako West Local Government area in Iyamho area of Uzairue.

A photograph currently trending on the social media shows Oshiomhole holding a ballot sheet with his thumbprint circled in red in front of the PDP logo, presenting it as if he voted for the party.

The photographed is a doctored one, because in the original photograph taken, Oshiomhole only turned the blank back of the ballot sheet to the camera as he was about to drop it into the ballot box.

Hence, TheDailyLeaks can authoritatively confirm that Oshiomhole’s photograph trending in the social media showing him holding a ballot paper with his thumbprint in front of PDP logo, is fake.

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Oshiomhole, had publicly campaigned against the PDP and its candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki, and had mobilised support for the candidate of his party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and since his ballot sheet did not reveal who he voted for, the photograph in circulation is the handiwork of fake news merchants.

Meanwhile, after casting his ballot on Saturday, Oshiomhole, who told reporters he was impressed with the turnout and progress of the election, chided the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), over the conduct of the election, especially on functionality of the card readers, which he said were not working.

Speaking on the election, Oshiomhole said, “the only bad egg as most card readers are not functioning properly, thereby slowing down the process.”

However, he commended the security operatives for maintaining orderliness, while he also lauded the electorate for maintaining calm and order as they waited their turns in the voting processes.

As Oshiomhole noted that, “there are speculations that criminals will arrive to cause intimidation towards the collation time,” he urged security officials not to lose guard and watch out for any act of thuggery.