The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has slammed his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Godwin Obaseki for allegedly erecting a giant digital billboard in Benin City to embarrass Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.
Ganduje is the Chairman of the APC’s National Campaign Council for the September 19 guber polls in Edo.
The Herald can report that the billboard erected at the popular Ring Road area in the Edo state capital has been endlessly playing videos allegedly showing the Kano governor collecting bribe in dollars from contractors in his state.
Ize-Iyamu said that instead of concentrating on Ganduje, Obaseki should explain the whereabouts of his commissioner arrested and detained in France since last year over alleged money laundering.
The APC candidate stated these in a Saturday statement through his Director of Communication and Media of the Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation, Prince John Mayaki.
“It is obvious to everyone in Edo State and beyond now that the outgoing governor of Edo State (Obaseki) and his party of tax collectors have no record or achievements to campaign with.
“Otherwise, instead of wasting public fund on a lazy, indecorous and irresponsible attempt to smear the reputation of Kano governor, they would have seized the fraudulently-obtained opportunity of a digital billboard at the heart of the state’s capital to show the people of Edo State consequential matters like their achievements in office.
“It is nothing but hypocrisy and a lack of awareness, two traits that contributed to the failure of the Obaseki’s administration, for the governor to sanction such an irresponsible move when his own commissioner/best friend is still languishing in detention abroad, since his arrest in France,” the statement read in part.
Read Also: Police arrest, vow to prosecute Kaduna ‘deaconess from hell’
In a counter-statement, Obaseki said he has unwavering confidence in his works and remained confident that Edo people would reward him with a second term in office.
He made this known in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie.
“Governor Obaseki has an unwavering faith in his works and the growing support of millions of Edo people, who are the actual voters that will re-elect him for another term in office.
“Edo people have come to the full understanding of Governor Obaseki’s brand of politics, which is about the greatest good possible for the greater number of people, as against Ize-Iyamu’s retrogressive politics of converting public wealth to his personal property.
“Edo State under Governor Obaseki has since shaken off the last vestiges of bad governance which Ize-Iyamu is notorious for, and our people are determined, more than ever, to sustain the progress we have so far witnessed with their votes.
“With Obaseki, trust, accountability to the people, integrity, our common dignity are the driving forces. These qualities have been demonstrated over and over again in the last three years and seven months, and a renewed four-year mandate from Edo people will turbo-charge us to deliver more dividends of democracy,” he said.