Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has ridiculed the reported preference of Governor Godwin Obaseki for Asue Ighodalo as his successor as the governor of Edo State.
He said there is a popular clamour around the state against a “stranger” coming to the saddle of governance again.
Ize-Iyamu noted that the governor’s quest is inhibited by the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party with Obaseki at war with his deputy, Philip Shaibu, and the mainstream of the party as represented by the Legacy Group in the PDP.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday, the APC governorship hopeful said Senator Adams Oshiomhole is forever lamenting his imposition of Obaseki as his successor.
Ize-Iyamu spoke in an interview on Arise News.
While observing that the failure of the present governor has inspired him into the race, he said: “The non-performance of the present governor gives me an edge.
“If the governor had done so well and was also bringing somebody that is also well known, then you would say considering how he has performed and who he is bringing, it is going to be difficult to challenge him.
“But you also know that the PDP, I am sorry to say, is a divided house.
“He is fighting with his deputy, he is fighting with the Legacy Party and he is trying to introduce somebody that they don’t know to be the flag bearer of the party.”
Asked about the outsider, Ize-Iyamu said: “You know I am not in PDP and at my age I must be too careful not to speculate too much.
“So, I cannot categorically say, but we hear all kinds of names.”
Challenged that Obaseki came from outside to win the election, the APC governorship hopeful said: “Obaseki was an imposition that Comrade is till today regretting.
“Obaseki is not a good example of somebody who came from Lagos and won, but I am telling you that on the streets today, in every town and city they are saying that whoever they want to support as governor is somebody who has lived among them, somebody that they know, somebody that they trust.
“That is the opinion.
“All my feedback is that never again will they support somebody that they don’t know.
“They want to support somebody that has lived among them, somebody that they can trust, somebody that is accountable, somebody that will respect them, not somebody that comes from outside the state and wants to govern them.”
Ize-Iyamu, however, affirmed that there are people in the diaspora who have given a good account of their interest in the state.
“There are people who live in the diaspora who have invested much in the development of our state.
“They live in the diaspora, but they own houses in our state.
“A man who wants to govern you in your state must show beyond being an indigene or citizen of Edo State that he has invested in Edo State.”
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Ize-Iyamu in the interview also stoutly defended his decision to contest the governorship primaries despite the agitation for zoning, saying that his section of Edo South Senatorial District has never produced a governor, senator, party chairman or any political stalwart of repute.
Besides, he said that his area in Orhinmwon Local Government Area despite being a major gas producer for the country was in darkness.
He, nevertheless, pledged to step down his aspiration, which he said is very popular, if the ticket is zoned outside Edo South Senatorial District.
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