No Retreat, No Surrender

By Sir Ralph Okhiria

Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu are not strangers to each other. They know themselves very well.

They were both with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole from the inception of his political career in 2006. They have both rendered invaluable services towards his take-off and stability.

But whereas Mr. Obaseki was busy raising money for Comrade Oshiomhole, Pastor Ize-Iyamu was neck deep in mustering political support for the former Nigerian Labour Leader.

At the early stage of Comrade Oshiomhole’s government in 2008, both of them were very visible and highly active. Pastor Ize-Iyamu was one of the political backbones of the Oshiomhole’s government while Mr. Obaseki was in charge of the state’s economic team and strategy.

This situation remained the same until 2015, when Pastor Ize-Iyamu owing to some political disagreements with the then governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and returned to his former party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ize-Iyamu, in 2016, secured the governorship ticket of the PDP to contest the Edo State gubernatorial election for that year. Similarly, Mr. Obaseki was his challenger from the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The election was very tough. But as in every contest, one person must win; and Mr. Godwin Obaseki got the better of his main challenger and political opponent. However, this was not without the help of the then governor, Comrade Oshiomhole.

The Pastor and his political party went to the election tribunal, alleging rigging and irregularities in the election but again, Mr. Obaseki’s election was re-affirmed by the tribunal.

But in early this year, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, again defected into the APC from the PDP. His coming didn’t receive the blessing of the governor and some leaders of the party which at this time was already factionalized.

Ize-Iyamu quickly settled down with the faction of the party that was loyal to the national chairman, Comrade Oshiomhole, from where he became the rallying point.

As the governorship election period drew near, the internal crisis in the ruling APC skyrocketed, leading to the controversial disqualification of the sitting governor, Mr. Obaseki from the governorship primary election race. Ize-Iyamu was the preferred person for the job by the party’s national chairman and most of his followers.

But Governor Obaseki who felt humiliated, decided to resign from the APC and joined the main opposition PDP with his teeming followers.

Now, Pastor Ize-Iyamu has been blessed with the APC ticket to contest the state governorship election. But the situation in that party is presently unpredictable. The NEC of the party is meeting soon and things are expected to flow from there.

Also, Governor Obaseki has just won the PDP ticket to fly the party’s flag in the September 19, 2020 gubernatorial election in the state and that affords him the opportunity to square up against Ize-Iyamu, once again.

Expectedly, it’s going to be an eyeball for eyeball situation between the two politicians who once again have the opportunity to test each other’s political strength.

Obviously, Pastor Ize-Iyamu is hungry for power and Governor Obaseki is hungry to bear his fangs against his former party and political godfather. The APC being the ruling party at national level may want to deploy it’s full arsenal to bring back the runaway state into it’s fold as the only APC state in the south south geopolitical zone. What about the PDP which has been out of political power in the state since 2008? They may fight with all their strength to keep the status quo intact as it is today.

The Ize-iyamu/APC battle against Obaseki/PDP has just started and only the people of the state can determine where the victory pendulum would swing to on September 19.

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