Kingsley Ohens reporting
The Edo New Media and Visual Communications Office has condemned the circulation of a digitally manipulated image allegedly portraying the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, as having held a programme booklet upside down during an official engagement in Asaba.
The office described the viral image as a calculated attempt to mislead the public, ridicule the Governor and divert attention from the administration’s growing focus on governance, development and service to the people of Edo State.
According to the office, the authentic photograph published on the Governor’s verified social media platform, @he_mondayokpebholo, clearly shows the programme booklet in its proper orientation. The version currently circulating online, it noted, has been digitally altered, thereby creating an event that did not occur.
The office stated that the manipulation is particularly troubling because it seeks to exploit the speed of social media to manufacture a false narrative before the facts can catch up with the misinformation.
“This is not responsible political criticism. It is the deliberate manipulation of digital content to create a false impression about the Governor and mislead unsuspecting members of the public,” the statement said.
The office urged Edo people and Nigerians to reject attempts to reduce public discourse to fabricated images, memes and online ridicule, stressing that Governor Okpebholo’s performance should be assessed on the basis of his policies, programmes, projects and measurable impact on the people.
It emphasized that the Governor remains focused on delivering on his administration’s SHINE Agenda and addressing the developmental needs of Edo State, rather than being distracted by what it described as manufactured social-media controversies.
“Those who disagree with the Governor are free to criticise his policies and decisions. That is the essence of democracy. But criticism must be based on facts, not fabricated images or digitally manufactured incidents.”
The office further called on media organisations, bloggers, social media influencers, content creators and members of the public to exercise greater responsibility when handling viral content, particularly materials involving public officials.
It warned that the growing use of artificial intelligence and sophisticated image-editing technology makes verification increasingly necessary, noting that a manipulated photograph can travel across thousands of platforms within minutes and leave a false impression long after the truth has emerged.
The Edo New Media and Visual Communications Office therefore urged citizens to verify the source of controversial images before sharing them and to rely on authentic platforms and credible media reports for information concerning the Governor and the activities of his administration.
The office maintained that Governor Okpebholo should be judged by the substance of his leadership, his commitment to Edo’s development and the tangible outcomes of his administration—not by images manufactured for social-media engagement.
“The people of Edo deserve a conversation about roads, healthcare, education, security, agriculture, infrastructure, jobs and economic opportunities—not digitally manufactured distractions designed to generate clicks and ridicule.”
The office reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the integrity of public information and ensuring that factual, verifiable accounts of the Governor’s activities remain available to the public.
It urged the public to remain vigilant and refuse to give credibility or unnecessary visibility to manipulated content designed to undermine confidence in the administration.
(C) Edo New Media and Visual Communications Office
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