Edo Guber Election: APC chooses consensus candidate

APC’s drop-in Osagie Ize-Iyamu has been chosen as the consensus candidate of a shred of torn ruling party in Edo for the forth-coming guber election on Sept. 19.

Ize-Iyamu obtained the nomination form of the party in Abuja on Wednesday.

Accompanying him were the retired Gen Charles Airhiavbere,  Chris Ogiemwonyi, and Hon. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma among others—all of them loyal to the Adams Oshiomhole faction of the APC in the state.

In a statement released through his campaign organisation and signed by his director of communication and media, John Mayaki, the aspirant said his picking up the nomination form is “another stride in the quest to move Edo State forward”.

“By obtaining the form today, we have formally placed our name on the party’s ballot for our internal primary next month (June 22). It is another great stride and we are thankful to the other aspirants who have joined us here today to offer support,” he said.

According to him, there have been efforts to cause disunity in the party, blaming  those who have sadly embraced politics without principles and are openly rebelling against the leadership of the party because they believe they have absolute power.

“Everyone here may have personal ambitions but we are bound together by the common desire to fast-track the transformation of our state through a transparent, effective, and accountable governance that will improve the living standards and social well-being of our people,” he said.

“And we all recognise that this cannot happen unless we dislodge the present administration that has failed this great party and the people of Edo State.”

Political watchers had predicted Ize-Iyamu was brought back from the PDP to the APC by the party national chairma and former governor of Edo—Oshiomhole—to jeopardise the chances of Gov. Godwin Obaseki for re-election.

Obaseki and Oshimhole have been fighting a war of attrition for more than a year now. And all efforts by the party national body to pacify the two have failed.