With the campaigns for the forthcoming Edo State governorship election entering crucial stage, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have unleashed bitter acrimonies against each other.
First, the Edo State Media Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the state’s governorship election has berated some politicalparties for what it termed a stage managed endorsement of Governor Godwin Obaseki, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after allegedly receiving some money as upfront payment and promise of another N65 million as reward.
APC, through a statement by John Mayaki, chairman of the Campaign Council, said the ‘motley of parties’ had sold out their platforms and done irrevocable damage to their potential for growth in the state by agreeing to support Obaseki, who it described as a widely rejected governor.
He said: “These parties, which ordinarily ought to present themselves to the people of Edo State as viable alternatives to build the necessary followership required for future relevance, have decided to instead, cash in on the greed of their leaders and offer their platforms in exchange for an initial down payment of N5 million each, and an additional promise of N65 million to support a governor widely rejected in his state for his non-performance.
“With this act of betrayal and greed, it is safe to say that these parties have successfully and irrevocably done damage to their integrity and placed a final barrier to any potential for growth and relevance in Edo State.
“It is shameful, and unfortunate, how these persons negotiate with platforms that should contest with the major parties and force through policy changes if at all they cannot, by themselves, form the government in the interim.”
“They make no attempt to increase their followership,present logical ideas to the people, or even make the most basic preparations for elections, whether statewide or grassroots. Rather, their entire existence is to negotiate and declare support for the highest bidder.”
“Luckily for them, they have found a good client in the desperate and rejected Godwin Obaseki. As we have repeatedly said, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is not in the business of paying for support. This is why he has focused on selling his manifesto to the people through an issue-based campaign devoid of name-calling and propaganda.”
However, Jimoj Ijegbai, Edo State Commissioner for Education, has said the PDP and Obaseki would defeat the APC in Owan East local government in the September 19 governorship election.
Ijegbai said the lies being peddled by Mr. Pally Iriase, former House of Representatives Deputy Whip, would not sway the people to vote for the APC.
Ijegbai, who was responding to allegations by Iriase at a campaign rally, said he (Ijegbai) performed below expectations when he served as chairman of Owan East local council.
READ ALSO: Edo 2020: 35 Political Parties Endorse Gov. Obaseki
Iriase, at the rally, had said the only achievements of Obaseki were blocks of toilets and that Ijegbai performed poorly as a council chairman.
He told the people that Ijegbai planned to buy votes with N10,000 per voter.
According to him, “I extended electricity to all the areas in Owan East as a council chairman. All the developments here were done by me. When I made Ijegabi chairman, I would ask him about things, he would say no money.
While reacting to the allegations, Ijegabi said Iriase had been rejected by the people owing to the defeat he suffered in the 2019 elections when the candidate he sponsored to the House of Assembly failed woefully.
He lambasted Iriase for organising a rally without observing COVID-19 protocols and called on the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to immediately quarantine Iriase and other APC chieftains at the rally.
In a related development, Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, has flayed claims that the government destroyed Ize-Iyamu’s campaign billboards, stressing that the allegations were belated antics of a routinely recycled politician who had nothing to offer to Edo people.
Osagie, in a statement, said the allegations were ludicrous and unfounded, stating that the tactic was true to Ize-Iyamu’s approach to politics, which had never won him success in previous elections.
According to him, “Anyone who knows Ize-Iyamu very well knows that this is his approach to politics. He raises the alarm and cries wolf when no one is chasing him. The state government has not removed any of his billboards. This is cheap blackmail to score lame political points.”
He added: “Ize-Iyamu is a politician that assumes relevance during every election cycle. This is what he does for a living and has no other job. It is not surprising to see these statements from him and his team. He should not be taken seriously, and his statements should be disregarded.
“He would go back to his cocoon after he had been defeated at the September 19, 2020 election and would most likely resurface after four years to repeat this cycle. So, we are used to his childish charades.”
