Fact-Check: Claim That Accord and NDC Parties in Ekiti Backed PDP Candidate Dr. Oluyede Is Misleading
Claim: A Facebook user shared a post claiming that Accord and NDC leaders in Ekiti declared support for PDP candidate Dr. Oluyede. Verdict: Misleading. Full Story Barely a few hours before the...
Claim: A Facebook user shared a post claiming that Accord and NDC leaders in Ekiti declared support for PDP candidate Dr. Oluyede.
Verdict: Misleading.
Full Story
Barely a few hours before the governorship election in Ekiti State, a Facebook user claimed that the leaders of Accord and NDC have declared support for the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Dr. Oluyede.
Election periods are often characterised by intense political messaging, and claims about government performance can influence voter perceptions. Given the significance of the assertion, NDRFactCheck examined available data to determine its accuracy.
See the screenshot of the post
As the post gained traction and could influence voters in the state, NDRFactcheck investigated the claim.
Verification
There is some evidence that some leaders and members of the Accord Party and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ekiti State declared support for the PDP candidate, Dr Wole Oluyede, but they did so as individuals, without the parties’ formal endorsement.
A report by Premium Times quoted the PDP campaign organisation as saying that the Accord Party’s deputy governorship candidate and some party leaders had joined and declared support for Oluyede. The PDP spokesperson also stated that the NDC, along with some other parties, had endorsed the PDP candidate.
However, there is an important qualification. The Ekiti Accord Party leadership denied reports that its governorship candidate, Opeyemi Falegan, had stepped down or endorsed Oluyede. The party chairman described such claims as false and said Accord remained in the race.
Conclusion
The claim is misleading because the endorsement came from some members of the parties’ Ekiti State leadership, not from the parties as institutions. For an endorsement to be considered official and comprehensive, it should be announced by the parties after a resolution by one of their recognised organs.
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