The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr Philip Shaibu, on Friday said Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is not a registered member of Edo APC, and as such was not qualified to contest in the governorship election.
Recall some aspirants including a former deputy governor of Edo State, Dr Pius Odubu, had stepped down for Ize-Iyamu to narrow the contest for the governorship candidate to be between him and Governor Godwin Obaseki.
“Ize-Iyamu is not a member of the Edo APC because he is not registered in his ward. The constitution is clear on who a member is. He agreed to the fact that he didn’t register at the ward and his ward chairman didn’t register him.
“The constitution says for one to be a member of the APC in the state, he or she must be registered member of the party in his or her ward,” he said.
The deputy governor, Shaibu, also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the crisis rocking the Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was bent on destroying the President’s anti-corruption legacy.
Shaibu, who spoke with journalists in Benin while commenting on the crisis within the party, said that there was evidence that Comrade Oshiomhole was not joining forces with the President on his anti-corruption crusade, but rather aligning with a man who has a pending corruption case to contest for the governorship seat in the state.
According to him, “My message to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the leader of the party in Nigeria, is for him to intervene in the crisis rocking Edo APC. I urge him to provide leadership at this critical time as Oshiomhole wants to destroy his anti-corruption legacy.
“Oshiomhole is not joining the President’s anti-corruption crusade but rather bringing a corrupt person that has a N700 million case pending in court to contest an election.
Oshiomhole called this man a thief; it is the same man he is bringing to rob Edo people.
“The Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) said every state executive should decide on their mode of primary and submit to NWC. We have done that and stand by that resolution. Oshiomhole is an interested party and can’t decide for us.”
Shaibu said that Oshiomhole’s achievements as governor can’t be compared to that of Governor Obaseki, whose successes are across the state.
