- Burna Boy’s Police Escorts Shoot Married Man After Singer Made Pass At Wife - June 12, 2022
- I’m Ashamed Of Ohanaeze, No Longer Believe In Body – Umahi Attacks Obiozor - June 12, 2022
- June 12: President Buhari’s Democracy Day Speech - June 12, 2022
- Wike describes Ize-Iyamu as unmarketable bad product
- Power to decide resides with Edo people, Ize-Iyamu retorts
Nyeson Wike, Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Edo State Governorship Campaign Council, has tagged Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), in Edo State governorship election as a bad product which cannot marketed to decisive people of Edo state.
Wike’s claim was, however, opposed by Ize-Iyamu, who said the power to decide a competent candidate resides with Edo State electorates and not Governor Wike.
Ize-Iyamu said in a statement, “When did I become a bad product? When I left PDP as their gubernatorial candidate and became an APC member? ”It is not Wike who will determine who is a good product. Edo people will decide.’’
“If he (Adams Oshiomhole) tells you that a particular politician is a bad product that cannot be sold, you can take that to the bank and keep your money or better still invest it in a better product that will give you more value for your money,” Wike countered on Thursday on a television programe.
Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, gave a statement, on the television programme.
He said: “Wike after an analysis, backed with supporting video footages from the campaigns of the last election in the state, he declared with unequivocal clarity, that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the Edo State governorship candidate of APC is a bad product and you cannot sell a bad product to good and discerning people of Edo State.
“Wike said Adams Oshiomhole told Edo people that Ize-Iyamu was rusticated from school; that he poured acid on a fellow student that destroyed his manhood.
“That he is an armed robber that cannot be trusted with money. Such a character cannot be accepted by Edo people as Governor during the election.
“I respect the Bini tradition and I know that Edo people are educated to know that Oshiomhole cannot play on their intelligence. If he is now retracting what he said of Ize-Iyamu, who is sure that he’s saying the correct thing now.
“Oshiomhole’s sudden U-turn is a great insult on Edo people. This is an opportunity for Edo people, both at home and in the Diaspora, to use their votes to tell Oshiomole that they cannot take his lies anymore.
“From all indications, it is obvious that there is no strong opposition against Obaseki and he will win convincingly.”
Wike said the emergence of Ize-Iyamu who he termed a bad product unmarketable to good Edo people has strengthened the chances of PDP and Governor Obaseki as the election draw closer.
He added: “It makes it easy for the governor to now concentrate his campaign on issues of governance and his numerous achievements in the last four years.
“Sadly, Pastor Ize-Iyamu has nothing to offer Edo people, except the empty promises, which even Oshiomhole has dismissed by telling the world that Ize-Iyamu tells lies too much.
“The only hope the APC is relying on now, according to Governor Wike, is to rig the Edo State governorship elections, because it knows that the people of the state will not buy the bad product Oshiomhole is presenting as the party’s candidate in the September 19 governorship elections.
“This has prompted Wike to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, to leave a lasting democratic legacy behind, by ensuring that the Edo State guber election is free and fair and devoid of the intimidation and threatened subversion of the electoral laws, which some APC members are planning to unleash on Edo people on election day.
“It was not easy to have a sole candidate for the party in Edo state. People thought there will be problems, given the fact that Obaseki was coming from another party. But party members who are grounded and believe in the Party didn’t see any sacrifice too much to make.”
He noted the success recorded by the PDP in conducting free and fair party primaries in Edo and Ondo states, adding that he and his team accepted the responsibility to lead the campaign in Edo because they are satisfied with results coming out already from Edo State.
He acknowledged the efforts of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State Governor and South-South Governors Forum Chairman, in strengthening the nation’s democracy with the promotion of internal politics and settling rifts among members to present a united front.
His words: “That is exactly what Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the Chairman of South-South States’ Governors had done.
“He is making sure that we are all on the same page to ensure that all States in the South-South are controlled by the PDP.
“Indeed, only very few people will disagree with the Edo State PDP Governorship Campaign Council Chairman on his comprehensive political analysis and especially on the electoral truism that you cannot sell a bad product, no matter how many times you kneel down to beg the people.”
source: Vanguard
This post was written by Obiajulu Joel Nwolu.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.