The All Progressives Congress on Saturday left no one in doubt about its determination clinch the governorship spot in Edo State come September 19, as it marshalled its political bigwigs at the launch of its campaign in Benin City.
The party had on parade 11 state governors, the deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, ministers, members of the House of Representatives, both serving and former, and other political heavyweights to witness the kickoff of the campaign and give support to its candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
But the Edo State government said President Buhari did well by not attending the event, as doing so would have run contrary to his declaration of a war against corruption.
The gathering of such political power brokers took place against the background of a rising tension in the state between APC and the People’s Democratic Party, and APC’s need to show that it is the ruling party at the national level.
Edo State House of Assembly is currently divided into two camps, with a tiny minority in support of Governor Godwin Obaseki. The other faction is made up mainly of 14 legislators previously excluded from legislative activities, but who formed their group and elected a factional Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Those who attended the event included were the Governor of Yobe State and Chairman, APC Caretaker Committee, Mai Mala Buni; Kebbi State Governor and Chairman, APC Governor’s Forum, Abubakar Bagudu; Chairman Edo APC National Campaign Council and Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru and Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Also in attendance was the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma; Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El’ Rufai; the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola; Governor of Niger, Abubakar Sani Bello; Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN); Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun; the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Chief Edwin Onoja and the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.
Also in attendance were Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation; Uchechukwu Oga, Minister of State Mines and Steel; Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who represents Owan Federal Constituency; Comrade Peter Akpatason, Johnson Oghuma, representing Akoko-Edo and Etsako Federal Constituency respectively; former deputy governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu; Dr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, General Charles Airhiavbere, Comrade Abdul Oroh, Razaq Bello-Osagie, as well as Pally Iriase, former members of the House of Representatives.
In his speech, Ganduje said the main objective of the APC was to reclaim Edo State, stressing that the campaign team had mapped out its strategies to deliver the state to the party.
Ganduje’s words re-echoed those of Adams Oshimhole, former governor of the state and immediate past national chairman of APPC, who has said repeatedly that he relocated to Edo with one singular objective: to win Edo for APC.
Governor Godwin Obaseki, the candidate of the PDP, dumped APC after he was screened out of the election by APC’s selection committee.
Ganduje said his council was satisfied with the APC’s election committee in the state, noting that the party was on its way to winning the election.
Ganduje thanked the people of Edo for making possible the return of the 14 lawmakers. He said the next step would be an intensive campaign to secure victory for the party’s candidate.
“Our Council has met several times and we have completed arrangements for successful election and Isha Allah, we will win this election. Our own responsibility is to create enabling environment for the mobilisation of voters for the presentation of our candidate and his manifesto especially his SIMPLE agenda for the good people of Edo State.
“We are highly impressed with the state Council for the election. We are impressed with the performance of the election committee at the state level. We have seen elections and campaigns going on from hamlet to hamlet, from village to village, from town to town and within the metropolitan of Benin.
“From the crowd we have seen, we have to conclude that this election will be won by the APC. Also, I have to congratulate you. Listen to me. I have to congratulate you for the swearing-in of 14 elected state Assembly members and also the election of the new principal officers of Edo State House of Assembly. We do congratulate you and we pray Almighty God to guide them for successful deliberations in Edo State House of Assembly.
Ganduje in his statement raised an issue that could signal the next move by the APC.
“In fact, we were astonished, we were surprised, we were shocked for 13 good months, 14 members were not sworn in. But now, we have succeeded. Three other legislators including the deputy speaker have now joined the successful 12. Now, APC has 17. Seventeen is more than three quarters of 24 legislators. We have more than three quarters. We thank you for that.”
On his part, Bumi said APC was out to reclaim what belongs to it. “We are here to take back our mandate, to take back our state. Four years ago, we were here; you voted for APC and we have no doubt in our minds you are going to vote for APC and return our mandate back in Edo State,” he said
“We are here to win and not to fight. But we must ensure that every vote counts. With these few remarks, let me use this opportunity to present to you our in-coming governor of Edo State, Pastor Ize-Iyamu,” Buni declared, in obvious reference to the current tension in hanging over Edo State.
In his speech, Ize-Iyamu exuded with confidence, assuring the crowd that his victory was already assured.
“My job is just to thank all our National leaders for coming to identify with us. With the people (crowd) we are seeing today will anybody say we are in opposition? Can anybody say we will be intimidated? Who will win the election, APC!
“I want to assure them that in this election, we will not only win; we will win the 18 local governments. Let me assure you that never again will we have a governor that is ungrateful. We will have a governor that will respect Edo people, a governor that you can access, a governor that can empower our people and by the grace of God, I will do it.
“You know people ask me why did you come back to the APC and sing this song, there is something that makes me come into your presence, APC,” he said, in political rendition of a popular church song among Nigeria’s Pentecostals. Ize-Iyamu is a Pastor.
Oshiomhole devoted his speech to lambasting Obaseki, whom he had repeatedly accused of poor performance. He said the governor had described Edo youths as criminals, while he should, as the governor, build them up.
The Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, in a statement thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for not attending the APC campaign rally yesterday.
“Once again, President Muhammadu Buhari reaffirmed his commitment to his administration’s fight against corruption by staying away from the public unveiling of the corruption-scarred gubernatorial candidate of the APC.
“Knowing the collateral damage such a gesture would have caused the anti-corruption war and its promoters, home and abroad, the President decided to stay away. The vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and several APC governors that were expected at the event, were also absent.
“APC leaders such as Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, were also not at the Sports Complex of the University of Benin, venue of the campaign flag-off.
“They departed Benin City immediately after a short visit to the palace of the Benin Monarch, Omo N’ Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II,” he said.