A governorship aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has cautioned the party against fielding incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki as its flagbearer in the forthcoming election in the state.
He stated this on Wednesday while highlighting his grievances against the sitting governor.
Ize-Iyamu is believed to be the frontrunner for the party’s ticket, especially as many heavyweight aspirants have stepped down for him.
Those that have stepped down include former deputy governor of the state, Dr. Pius Odubu, Chief Solomon Edebiri, Prof. Ebegue Amadasun, Gen Charles Airhiavbere, Engr Chris Ogiemwonyi, Hon. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, Hon Saturday Uwuilekhue, and Mr. Blessing Agbonmhere.
The aspirant, who spoke shortly after picking his Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja, said it would be political suicide for the APC to field Obaseki for a second term.
Ize-Iyamu said, “We mean well for our state. We are not looking for positions simply because we need to look for something to occupy us. Even though what we have now is an APC Administration, we are not too happy with the pace of development. We are not happy with the rancour. We are not happy with the divisions. We are not happy with the insecurity and that cannot augur well for development. That was why we said our party cannot be changed, that it is better to change the incumbent and ensure that our party remains in office.
“In all the rifts in the party, I have not heard the national Chairman say anything against the governor. It has been one-way traffic. It has been the governor, his deputy and people in his government constantly and persistently abusing the national Chairman, who as a father has kept quiet. The governor has created a rift between himself and leaders of the party in Edo state because the people that put him there, he has dismissed them, used all kinds of negative adjectives to describe them. He has no relationship with them.”
Ize-Iyamu added, “When I came in, I made several efforts to see the governor tell him o was coming back home and to advise him that it was better to have a united house than creating factions. It is surprising that before I came into the party, I could speak to him at will but the moment I told him about my agenda, why I wanted to see him, it became impossible. He closed the door and of course, you do not expect me to force my way into Government House. I have done my best in trying to talk to him and those who are close to him that factions and strong words are not the way to go.
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“For me, the governor has a right to seek a second term but he cannot say that it is not negotiable because bif that is your position, it means you are saying that the party should not even sell forms to anybody and that Edo people do not have the discretion as to chose who should be their governor. To say it is not negotiable is to rubbish the rest of us who also have a right to contest.”