Edo Gov Poll: Ize-Iyamu not stranger in APC, Elders tell Buhari

*say he returned several months ago

Elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State have described as mischievous and lies, allegations that Pastor Ize-Iyamu is a stranger who had spent just three months in the party.

They also described the alleged conduct of a mock primary to endorse him as the consensus candidate of APC in the governorship election scheduled for September 19 as falsehood.

The elders said that the letter President Muhammadu Buhari, was done by faceless groups to malign the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole and Ize-Iyamu.

According to them, few years after being forced by “betrayal, lies and deceit to exit from the APC which he helped to build, Ize-Iyamu returned several months ago.”

“His return was inspired by the yearnings of the good people of Edo State, and encouraged by genuine leaders of the APC who are interested in ensuring that the APC is re-positioned to win future elections in Edo State”, they stated.

The Edo APC Elders who made the clarification in a letter to Buhari, believed that the allegations contained in the letter demonstrate that those behind it were desperate to ruin the electoral fortune of the party if they do not have their way.

The letter was signed by a former Chairman of Etsako East Local Government Area, Stanley Odidi (Edo North); former Chairman, Esan North East LGA, Sam Oboh (Edo Central) and former member, Edo State House of Assembly who represented Orhionmwon Constituency I, Etinosa Ogbeiwi (Edo South.

The letter reads, “Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the personality who is the primary target of the said letter of lies, is not as falsely claimed by the faceless authors of the letter, a three-month-old member of our great party, the APC.

“On the contrary, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, more than being part and parcel of our great party from the very beginning, was in the inner circle of the great personalities instrumental in the formation of the party.

“He played vital roles, travelling far and wide in the mission to facilitate the amicable coming together of the three defunct parties that merged to form the APC in 2013. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s undisputed role in the formation of the APC are shown by the sensitive positions he held in the APC during and after its formation.

“He was the Vice National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (South-South) and members of the national caucus. As Chief of Staff and later Secretary to the Government of Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu served with honour and without blemish, facts well-known to the faceless authors of the letter of lies.

“The accusation only emanates from a figment of their imagination as no such thing happened in reality. The letter, which is laden with naked lies, is deliberately calculated to cast these two great personalities in bad light and bring them to disfavour before you.

“However, truth is always alive and can never be vanquished by lies. We crave your Excellency’s kind indulgence to debunk these lies, while setting the records straight.

“We make bold to say that the alleged signatories to the letter of lies are non-existent, concocted names. Such is the mischief which can only be associated with dishonourable people who do not believe in the political ideals of openness and internal democracy upon which the APC is solidly built.”