Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu has narrated how he and a few others braced the odds in 2007 to make Comrade Adams Oshiomhole the governor of Edo State.
Ize-Iyamu, who said this in Auchi, noted that alongside Chief Tom Ikimi, he fought the battle that made Oshiomhole governor. He spoke at his party’s flagging-off campaign in Edo North Senatorial District.
He said when the decision of the zone to produce the next governor after the expiration of the tenure of Chief Lucky Igbinedion came up; they ensured that Edo North was allowed to produce the governor.
His words: “I challenge any Edo APC leader who can say that they influenced the governorship seat to Edo North. Certainly none of them. I stand among the first three, who said it must be Edo North.
“Let me say that when your son, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole came, he had toured many political parties. He first went to the PDP; he went to ANPP and from there to the Labour Party. And from the Labour Party, he came to us to say; please help me so that I can become the first governor from the Edo North.
And I said we would help you. “Let me testify that Adams Oshiomhole did not bring a Kobo to become the governor of Edo State. He may deny this; he may deny his people. On election day, he called me to say that rigging was too much in Edo North and that he was returning to Benin to address a press conference that he was withdrawing from the race.
“I told him that he cannot do that no matter what is happening. I told him to wait, and we will fight the battle. We fought the battle and eventually, Adams Oshiomhole became the governor of Edo State.
“After eight years, I see no functional hospital in Edo North. The only hospital does not have an x-ray machine to even diagnose the nature of an ailment. The people have no drinking water.
They have no industry despite being blessed.”
(Vanguard)
