Return to APC, Ize-Iyamu begs Obaseki

The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Edo September governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has called on Governor Godwin Obaseki who recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, to return to the APC.

Ize-Iyamu said this in Benin on Monday while reading his acceptance speech shortly after being announced as the party’s flag bearer.

He said, “We are going to talk to everybody and we are going to bring everybody back. And let me also say that I want to salute my brother, the governor of the state, Mr Godwin Obaseki. I will like to appeal to him to return to the party.

“The atmosphere in our state has been tense in the past few months and it was unnecessary. That hostile atmosphere, more or less put a stop to governance. But we are hoping that now we have concluded our primary even though I have to start campaigns, let’s do it in an atmosphere of love and peace.

Ize-Iyamu was declared winner of the governorship primary after polling 27, 838 votes from the direct primary held across the 192 wards of the 18 local government areas of the state, to defeat two other aspirants, Dr Pius Odubu and Mr Osaro Obaze, who polled 3, 776 and 2, 724 respectively.

The exercise, which commenced as early as 8am across the 18 LGAs of the state, was peaceful.

There was also heavy military presence in the state collation centre at a hotel located in the Government Reserved Area area of Benin City.

Accredited card-carrying party members of the party, who wore face masks, lined up in batches of 15 in each ward at a time, and were, thereafter, requested to vote for the aspirants of their choice by raising their cards at the mention of the names of each of the three aspirants.

Chairman of the Edo State APC Primary Election Committee, Governor Hope Uzodinma, declared Ize-Iyamu winner of the exercise, after the collation of results.

He said, “From the collated results, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who scored 27, 838 votes, has the highest votes and is returned as the APC governorship candidate for Edo State in the forthcoming governorship election.”