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•Ize-Iyamu will win, Kano gov insists
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, yesterday took on his Kano State counterpart, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, telling him that he would not be able to sway the voters in Edo State with his famed “illicit” access to the dollar in the September 19 governorship election.
Wike and Ganduje are heading the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign councils respectively.
“So, Ganduje, your dollar will not work in Edo State, we have integrity in our party,” he said in Abuja after he was inaugurated along with other members of the campaign council.
Wike was replying to the threat by Ganduje, that he would be isolated at an isolation centre for the APC to win the impending poll.
He said he was not the target of the isolation plan but the people whose votes the APC intended to manipulate with the help of the security agencies.
But Ganduje yesterday restated that the APC would win the forthcoming governorship election.
He said Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who is the PDP’s candidate in the election would lose to his APC’s rival, Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu, because the governor had not done much to deserve a second term.
Speaking yesterday at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja Wike replied Ganduje: “But let us understand the statement made by Ganduje; don’t look at it ordinarily. What Ganduje said is that they have concluded with security agencies to make sure that the people of Edo State do not protect and defend their votes; that they will not allow them to come out and before you know it, they will announce the result. So, he just used me to say that they will isolate me; no I am not at his level.
“What he was telling Nigerians is look in this election, we shall make sure that Edo people do not come out to vote; even if they vote, we will not allow them to protect and defend their votes.
“Edo people – now they have told you that they will not allow you to vote and even if you vote, they will not allow you to protect and defend your votes. It is a direct challenge to all of you leaders here from Edo State, because we members of the campaign council, we cannot vote because we did not register to vote in Edo State.”
Wike also warned security agencies not to take sides during the election.
He warned: “Any attempt to rig this election in Edo State, then we will all know whether it is better for us to remain here or not because Edo people have spoken and it is very clear. Let nobody make any attempt, Edo State has come back to the PDP.
“This election, we will win it and win it very well. Nobody can intimidate us.”
Wike said if anyone should be isolated; it must be Ganduje for his lack of moral integrity.
According to him, “A man who pockets dollar in babarriga from contractors is not isolated and you say that I should be isolated. In this country, where are we heading to?
“Let me tell you why they made Ganduje the chairman of the campaign council, it is because of the dollar they saw. But for dollar, Ganduje could not have been made the chairman of the campaign council. But what he doesn’t understand is that we from the Niger Delta, we shall chop his dollar and we will chop him into a comma.
“So, Ganduje, your dollar will not work in Edo State, we have integrity in our party.
“How do you think we shall lose the election in Edo State? In 2016, we never knew the candidate had a lot of problems and that was why the people of Edo State listened to Oshiomhole at that time – you can see a party that has no principle.
“A man that they said poured acid on another person’s manhood. I didn’t say so – it was Oshiomhole that said so. And to tell you that you can never trust this government, and they said that the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Anti -Corruption was the chairman of the panel that indicted their so-called candidate now. Prof. Itse Sagay, speak up now, tell Nigerians whether you are the one that indicted him or not.
“Oshiomhole said that this man that called himself a pastor is a terrible liar; so, they know that they have no candidate.”
He said he accepted to head the campaign council to ensure PDP’s victory in the election.
“Let me state that the terms of reference are very clear that we should make sure that the result is according to the will of Edo people, I want to assure you that by the grace of God nothing will stop us from victory,” he stated.
He commended the governorship aspirants for accepting to work together, explaining that is why Obaseki is not having a sleepless night, he can now rest well, no litigation and that is what is expected of an opposition party.
“I urge the leadership of the party to make sure that we have the same thing in Ondo State so that Ondo will be in the kitty of PDP come October,” Wike said.
Earlier in his speech, the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said: “For us in PDP, the Edo election has been made easy going by the records of achievements of our flag bearers, Governor Godwin Obaseki, and his running mate, Philip Shaibu. What we seek, therefore, is a level-playing field where the peoples’ votes will count.”
He added the PDP is demanding a free and fair election as was the case when Oshiomhole won the election twice from an opposition party.
“Let me warn that APC might be standing on the excitement of its previous rigged elections in Osun, Ekiti, Kano, and Kogi States in the past and think that their victory at the tribunal legitimises their underhand act but they forget to put into consideration the anger of God and the people to evildoers who refuse to change,” he said.
He called on Nigerians to rise and defend their votes.
He commended Oshiomhole for making the work of the PDP campaign committee easier having supplied the party with all the information needed to establish to the people of Edo State that Ize-Iyamu is not a suitable material for the position and that the PDP candidate is the one fit for the job.
Ize-Iyamu will Win Edo Governorship Poll, Says Ganduje
Ganduje yesterday said the APC would win the forthcoming governorship election as Obaseki has not done much to deserve a second term.
Ganduje, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Abba Anwar, said the APC would play the electoral game in Edo in total compliance with the Electoral Act.
He urged Edo people to vote for Ize-Iyamu for the state to develop.
Ganduje said Obaseki had too many hurdles that would inhibit his victory.
He said: “Obaseki has failed to deliver to his people. He would be shocked at the polls.
“The art of governance is to provide social and economic development, infrastructural facilities, peace, and stability.
“But all of these are lacking in Edo State under Obaseki.
“What has he put on the ground to show to Edo people that he deserves re-election?
“He has 53 cases in court and is busy fighting with his people. Apart from these litigations, he just cross-carpeted to another political party and abandoned the governance of his people. How can he be returned?”
Ganduje described Ize-Iyamu as a man of God whose commitment to the service of his people made it deserving for all his people to follow him to APC.
“Osagie Ize-Iyamu has his people at heart. Obaseki does not. When Ize-Iyamu joined our party he came with all his people.
“But when Governor Obaseki crossed over to PDP, he was followed only by his cabinet members. This is because the people did not see any reason why they would follow him,” he said.
