By Gideon Njoku
Candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Edo State September, 19, 2020 Governorship Election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has revealed an aspect of the peace meeting the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare 11, held with the leaders of the APC and the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in his Palace.
Worried by the tension in the state, and the violence so far recorded in the campaigns, the revered Monarch invited both parties to a peace meeting, and told them they were giving him sleepless nights.
He warned them not to reduce the state to a war zone, and told them to call their followers to order, and asked them to emulate former President Goodluck Jonathan, who held a peaceful election in 2015, and shed no blood.
But on Monday, Ize-Iyamu revealed an aspect of the meeting which was not made public.
In an interview on Channels Television, part if which was aired Monday evening, Ize-Iyamu revealed that the Oba said before everybody present, including the PDP candidate, and incumbent Governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki, that Obaseki was imposed on the state by former National Chairman of the APC, who was also a former Governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, in 2015.
Ize-Iyamu: “The Oba said that Obaseki was imposed on the people. He said it before Obaseki.”
If the Oba said that, then, it runs contrary to the Palace policy not to get involved in politics.
Ize-Iyamu, also, slammed Obaseki for saying he would retire Oshiomhole from politics on September 19.
He told his interviewer, Seun Okinbaloye, who asked him the question on Oshiomhole’s retirement boast by Obaseki, that it was arrogant of the Governor to have made such a claim.
Ize-Iyamu: “That was wicked and reckless of him. How could he? Is he God? It means he wants to be a godfather. Who is he?”
He continued: “Obaseki was a nobody when Oshiomhole made him Governor. He did not belong. He did not know his ward, and had never voted before. The first time he voted was in 2016. What he said was reckless and wicked. Somebody raises you, and you turn around to say you will retire the person.”
He, also, alleged that most of Obaseki’s aides would vote for him, Ize-Iyamu, even though they are Obaseki’s aldes.
There are strong reasons to believe that the September 19 election will be violent. Supporters of both parties have been at daggers drawn since the campaign began.
Oshiomhole who, in 2015, backed Obaseki against Ize-Iyamu is now backing the later. Both candidates exchanged seats as candidates of the PDP and APC. While Obaseki who ran and won the governorship against Ize -Iyamu and his PDP is now the candidate of the PDP, Ize-Iyamu who ran on the PDP ticket is now the candidate of the APC.
