PDP: Ize-Iyamu is no match for any of our aspirants

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says Osagie Ize-Iyamu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), cannot match any of its aspirants.

Ize-Iyamu, who was the PDP candidate in the 2016 governorship election, clinched the APC ticket on Monday after polling 27,388 votes to defeat Pius Odubu, his closest challenger, who secured 3,776 votes.

Godwin Obaseki, Edo governor, had defected to the PDP after he was screened out of the APC gubernatorial race.

He would face Kenneth Imasuagbon and Gideon Ikhine in the PDP primary scheduled for Thursday.

In a statement, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesman, said Ize-Iyamu emerged as a candidate through “the crudest governorship election primary ever.”

Ologbondiyan said the APC would lose the governorship election fixed for September.

“Since Ize-Iyamu emerged as a candidate through the crudest governorship election primary ever, in the history of our nation, the people of Edo state had written off the APC, turned the party into a butt of street joke as well as a new metaphor for disdain for the people,” he said.

“From all indications, only failure awaits the APC in the September election. This is because, going by the figures announced from the direct primary, which the APC conducted to produce Ize-Iyamu, it is clear that the totality of the members of the APC in Edo is far below 40,000, in a state where the membership and support base of the PDP soar well above three million.

“Moreover, the people of Edo state had been openly told by Ize-Iyamu’s godfather, Adams Oshiomhole, that he is not fit to occupy the office of the governor of Edo state for reasons he had also put in public space.”

The PDP spokesman said it is “nauseating” to foist Ize-Iyamu on Edo people after he had been “degraded” by his party in 2016.

“Given the crisis that has destroyed the APC to its tatters, it is difficult to assert that Ize-Iyamu will be their eventual candidate,” he said.

“However, if he managed through, we welcome him to an issue-based campaign, though his godfather, in agreement with us, has since declared that he has nothing to offer.”