EDO 2020: Why we want Obaseki out —Ize-Iyamu

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Edo State has listed reasons the party wants to replace incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Among other reasons, he said the APC in Edo was determined “to change the incumbent and ensure that our party remains in office.”

He also said that it would be political suicidal to allow Obaseki get a second term.

He stated this on Wednesday after picking his Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.

A faction of the APC believed to be loyal to the national Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, had on Tuesday night adopted Ize-Iyamu as their consensus candidate.

That came as some aspirants including a former deputy governor of the state, Dr Pius Odubu stepped down for him.

Also to step down for Ize-Iyamu were Chief Solomon Edebiri, Prof. Ebegue Amadasun, Gen Charles Airhiavbere, Engr Chris Ogiemwonyi, Hon. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, Hon Saturday Uwuilekhue and Mr Blessing Agbonmhere.

Speaking after he collected the form, Ize-Iyamu who ran as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state four years ago claimed that the aspirants and members of the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives, led by the House Deputy Leader, Comrade Peter Akpatason contributed the N22.5 million fee he used and purchased the forms.

On why the party wants Obaseki removed, he said:

READ ALSO: EDO GOV POLL: No man can stop me, I’ll get 2nd term the same way I got 1st term —Obaseki

“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.

“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.

“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.”

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