Edo 2020: I Don’t Want To Go To Jail - Ize-Iyamu

The All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in the September 19th election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has stated that he does not want to go to jail.

This was as he asserted that former National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is not the face of his campaign, as it is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that is dragging the former Edo governor into the fray.

Speaking with State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, Ize-Iyamu distanced himself from the violence happening in the state.

The camp of Ize-Iyamu and that of Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the fast-approaching election have been trading blames over the disturbances in Edo State.

On July, 10 persons were wounded after gunmen struck at a PDP rally in Edo. Already, 
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has threatened to halt the governorship election in the state if the violence persists.

But responding to a question on violence in the state, Ize-Iyamu said Obaseki should be held responsible for the attacks, pointing out that Obaseki had threatened to deal with anybody due to the immunity he enjoys.

“On the issue of violence that you mentioned, if you ask your correspondents in Edo, it is the governor that has been beating the war drums. My billboards are being vandalized, nobody has touched their own.

“We wrote petitions to the commissioner of police, the Director DSS, and they will attest to the fact that on a regular basis they are destroying our billboards. They are the ones that want to make the state ungovernable and I am sure you heard the governor say that he and his deputy have immunity and so they can deal with anybody.

“I don’t have immunity, I don’t want to go to jail and it is not in my character to deal with anyone. They did their flag off at the stadium, nobody molested them. This morning I placed a call to the DSS director to tell him that I am aware that the deputy governor has sent money to the student union leaders, appealing to them to come and demonstrate at Ugbowo, which is the route we are taking to our flag off tomorrow (Saturday). Of course, the boys were just looking at him and informed us.

“So we are not beating any war drum, we believe in peace, our president believes in peace, our party leaders believe in peace and we cannot disappoint them.

“So I can assure you that on our part, we will conduct ourselves in a peaceful manner, our campaign will be done peacefully, the elections by the grace of God will be done peacefully. We are only appealing to the PDP and the governor to do the same,” he said. 

Ize-Iyamu also disclosed that Oshiomhole has apologized for the negative things he said about him in 2016, insisting however that the former Edo governor isn't the face of his campaign. 

His words,  “Let me first inform you that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is not the face of the campaign. As you rightly know, I am the gubernatorial candidate and Mallam Gani Audu is the deputy.

“It is the PDP that keeps mentioning his name, talking about him, and playing tapes as if he is the candidate. But I want to inform you that I am very well known in Edo. 

"I have lived there all my life, I have been chief of staff, secretary to the state government and we also have a local Director-General of the campaign, Gen. Cecil Esekhaigbe (retd.) from Edo Central, who is well respected. And of course, the national arm of the party has also established a local council headed by no less a person than the governor of Kano. So we are very strong and we are doing well.

“Of course, Adams Oshiomhole comes from Edo, he is an APC member and it is natural for him to campaign for our party but certainly he is not the face. Unlike what happened four years ago where maybe, the candidate could not speak and somebody had to speak for him. But anyone will tell you that everywhere I have gone, I have been the one speaking. So that statement is not correct.”