Edo guber: Ize-Iyamu’s emergence as APC candidate hilarious – Gov. Obaseki
Anthony Iwuoma
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has described to the report purporting the choice of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as a ‘consensus’ candidate by a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo as hilarious.
Ize-Iyamu was, on Tuesday, reportedly adopted in Abuja by seven other governorship aspirants in the Edo State APC as their consensus consequent upon which he bought his nomination forms on Wednesday at the APC national secretariat, in Abuja.
However, Governor Obaseki said it was a non issue, as the choice of who governs Edo State would be made in the state, not Abuja.
In a statement signed by Obaseki’s spokesperson, Crusoe Osagie, in Benin, the state capital, on Wednesday, Obaseki said: “The Edo State chapter of the APC, which is responsible for deploying the inner workings of the party towards the emergence of a candidate of the APC in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, resides and operates in Edo State, not Abuja.
“It is, therefore, hilarious to hear that a so-called consensus candidate for the party in Edo State governorship election was selected in Abuja.
“For us, this is a joke taken too far and clearly shows that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole once again has set the APC on a journey to perdition in Edo State, as he did in Zamfara, Bayelsa, Rivers, Taraba and several other states.
“The last time we checked, the timetable released by Oshiomhole’s National Working Committee (NWC) fixed Edo Primary election for 22nd of June, 2020 and it is expected to hold in Edo State.
“But we now hear that they have conducted the primary election three weeks before the set date in a jurisdiction far away from Edo State, making a mockery of our great party, the APC, President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidency and all other institutions and esteemed individuals associated with our party.
“Our conclusion on this matter is that like all other illegal actions taken by Oshiomhole, this too is a nullity and shall come to no-effect,” the statement concluded.
A former deputy governor of the state, Pius Odubu, was reportedly among the aspirants that stepped down for Ize-Ayamu.
Others were Charles Airhiavbere, Chris Ogiemwonyi, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, Saturday Uwuilekhue, Ebegue Amadasun and Solomon Edebiri.
