One of the most honourable and respected leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Edo State, Owere Dickson Imasogie aka Leader of Leaders is savouring the sweet victory of the PDP in the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state and feeling very good but Pastor Ize-Iyamu for his humiliating defeat in the election.
Interview brought to you by Sir Ralph Okhiria.
What is your reaction to the just concluded governorship election in the Edo State?
I predicted it. In my last interview with you, I said the APC will only win in three local governments. Unfortunately they won five. I would say I’m disappointed. I expected the PDP to have won Akoko Edo and Estako Central which would have given us fifteen and they three. I’ve been proven wrong but that’s politics.
Now that your party and it’s candidate have won the election, how do you feel?
I expected it and I feel good. The bad administration that APC brought, maybe they channelled their organisation through our governor, we would improve on it and ensure it service the people.
In that case, what is your advice to Governor Godwin Obaseki and Pastor Ize-iyamu?
To Pastor Ize-iyamu, I told you I’m the head of his family and I advised him against going into Governorship race, most especially that it would not be fair to the PDP because PDP has been fair to him. Himself and Chief Lucky Igbinedion, in 2007 betrayed the trust of the PDP and worked with Oshiomhole. After bringing Oshiomhole in 2007 to 2012, 2014 before decamping to PDP. We didn’t look at all these things, we thought politics is politics and allowed him to be the DG of President Jonathan’s presidential campaign Organization. In 2016, we also made him our gubernatorial candidate. In 2018 we made him DG of Atiku’s presidential campaign organization. A Bini adage says “those who see you when you are fine, must not laugh at you when you are ugly. If he felt the PDP is ugly, he is one of those that made the PDP to be ugly. He shouldn’t have left the PDP, I advised him and so whatever he got, he knew it was coming to him. I don’t have regrets. I don’t have to sympathise with him because when he met me, I told him the truth and some members of my family worked with him because blood is thicker than water. But I won’t betray my party. Some elders of the party were even thinking “are you sure Owere will not work with his cousin?” But I think history has now judged me rightly, because I didn’t betray the party.
My advice to Obaseki is that he made a mistake in his first time by telling his party members not to come to the government house but go to the party. He who pays the piper, dictates the tunes. PDP has installed him, so he should listen to the party leadership. Not the godfatherism. We believe in leadership. He should listen to the leadership. We will lead him well to be able to serve the people well.
What words do you have for the masses that turned out in their numbers to vote for your party?
I thank them for voting for PDP. Yes, there are also some good qualities in Obaseki that made them to vote him but like I said, Edo state is a PDP state and you are aware that in 2015, we won this state in the presidential election. In 2019 we defeated the incumbent president here. So that would tell you that this is a PDP state. Our experience, with that of the technocrat Obaseki, we would put it to serve the masses very well.
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