Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday, urged Edo State electorate to truncate the political aspiration of inconsistent politicians with questionable character in the September 19, 2020 governorship election.
Wike, who is Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council for the Edo election, stressed that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s integrity, credibility and performance qualified him as favourite to win the polls.
He stated this in Port Harcourt, adding that Nigerians were watching to see Edo people demonstrate whether they love themselves or not by supporting the man who was celebrated as the pillar of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s administration.
“It is easy to win the Edo election. It will show if Edo people love themselves or not because they have two candidates. Oshiomhole had said one was not electable. Four years ago, Obaseki was the best support for Oshiomhole’s government and he said Osage Ize-Iyamu cannot be trusted with money and that he is a fake pastor.”
“Ize-Iyamu did not challenge those assertions including the one about pouring acid on a fellow student. This is the time to stop politicians with questionable character, who say one thing today and do another the next day.
“Integrity, credibility and performance credentials favour Obaseki. Oshiomhole should apologise to Edo people that those things he said about Ize-Iyamu were not true and not just to say that he regretted supporting Obaseki then,” he stated.
Wike argued that with the way the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign was going, Oshiomhole was the one doing the campaign, showing that without him, Edo people would not vote Ize-Iyamu, adding, “It is that kind of godfatherism that Obaseki resisted.” He charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to be neutral in the Edo governorship election, saying as the giant of Africa, other countries could learn something good from Nigeria on free and fair elections.
Besides, the Coalition of Community Based Organisations (CBO) has accused Ize-Iyamu and Oshiomhole of inciting violence ahead of the gubernatorial election. Addressing journalists in Benin City, Spokesman of the group, Adaze Emwanta, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to call all those inciting violence in the state ahead of forthcoming governorship election to order.
He said, “Our attention has been drawn to the video of a secret meeting the APC candidate had with a group of political thugs. Ize-Iyamu told the thugs to move from one polling unit to the other, ward to ward to obtain favourable results for him in an rigging plot code-named ‘operation show your result.”
Emwanta also alleged that Oshiomhole incited youths against Governor Obaseki, saying after the meeting, PDP governors and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) were attacked at the Oba of Benin palace.