Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 19 Edo State guber election, on Monday broke his silence for the first time since the announcement of the result of the election.
Ize-Iyamu who suffered his heaviest electoral defeat, the second in eight years, in a statement he personally signed, said he would not approach the Election Tribunal to challenge the declaration of Governor Godwin Obaseki as winner of the election.
The APC candidate paid glowing tribute to leaders of the party and others for their immense contribution to his electioneering campaign.
Curiously, however, either inadvertently or deliberately, the name of his benefactor and campaign-in-chief, the former national Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, was conspicuously missing on the list of those he acknowledged.
He acknowledged the role some APC leaders played before and during the election.
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He said: “Let me once again whole heartedly thank the President and Commander – in- Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammad Buhari (GCFR), for his statemanship and support throughout the election campaign.
“We thank the national leadership of our party, led by HE Mai Mala Bunu, Governor of Yobe State; our National Campaign Council led by HE Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, Governor of Kano State; APC Governors; leaders and members of the National Assembly and other leaders of our party at both national and state levels for their immense contributions.
“We also sincerely thank HRM Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare ll, the Oba of Benin; the Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliru Momoh, Ikelebe lll, and our other Royal Fathers for their unceasing prayers for the peace of the state before, during and after the election.”
The omission of the former Edo State governor has however left tongues wagging, considering the frontline role Comrade Oshiomole played in canvassing support for the candidature of Pastor Ize-lyamu before and during the election.
Even the five local government areas won by Pastor Ize-lyamu during the guber poll were from Comrade Oshiomole’s Edo North enclave where the latter wields enormous influence.
