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Tag: Ize-Iyamu

  • Edo 2020: ‘Come back to APC, work with me,’ Ize-Iyamu begs Obaseki

    Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the Edo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has appealed to Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State, to return to the party.

    Ize-Iyamu made the appeal in his acceptance speech after he was declared winner of the Edo APC governorship primary on Monday.

    Governor Obaseki defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday after he was disqualified from seeking the APC ticket for the 19 September governorship election.

    The APC candidate advised the governor to return to the party he “originally belong” to and not make the same mistake he did when he (Ize-Iyamu) defected to the PDP to become the party’s candidate in the 2016 governorship election.

    Ize-Iyamu said he is willing to work with Obaseki if he returns to the APC.

    He said: “By this process we just completed, the party is now on its step to full recovery. I also salute Governor Obaseki, and I will appeal to him to return to the party.

    “In every party we have disagreement but I don’t want it that it is this disagreement that would push him out. I once made that mistake. It might be nice for him to come back, and certainly, I’m going to work with him.

    “We’ve shown the example today in APC as we are determined to be law-abiding. The few months we have for campaign, let’s do it in a law-abiding manner. I’m pledging on behalf of my party that we will be peaceful and respectful.

    “I’m naturally happy and humbled by the overwhelming support from the 18 local government areas. I’m so elated that there was no incident of violence as this has been my prayer point. The election went on with strict adherence to the state’s government COVID-19 regulations.”

    Ize-Iyamu said if he wins the September governorship election, he will be working with everyone to move the state forward.

    He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, Adams Oshiomhole, the suspended APC National Chairman; and the security agencies for their support in the primary election.

  • BREAKING: Results of Edo APC guber primary

    BREAKING: Results of Edo APC guber primary

    Adams Oshiomhole’s annointed aspirant in the Edo All Progressives Congress, APC guber primary, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has emerged as the party’s flag bearer in the scheduled September Governorship race.

    He polled 27,838 votes, while his closest rival, Dr Pius Odubu scored 3,776, and Mr Osaro Obaze got 2,751 votes.

    A) Edo South Senatorial District:

    1. lkpoba-Okha LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,581. Osaro Obazee = 67. Dr. Pius Odubu = 99.

    2. Oredo LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,902. Osaro Obazee = 308. Dr. Pius Odubu = 67.

    3. Orhionmwon LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,750. Osaro Obazee = 171. Dr. Pius Odubu = 418.

    4. Ovia Northeast LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,650. Osaro Obazee = 70. Dr. Pius Odubu = 124.

    5. Ovia Southwest LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,668. Osaro Obazee = 79. Dr. Pius Odubu = 108.

    6. Uhunmwode LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,394. Osaro Obazee = 183. Dr. Pius Odubu = 274.

    7. Egor LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1794. Osaro Obazee = 53. Dr. Pius Odubu = 81.

    B) Edo Central Senatorial District:

    1. Esan Central LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,333. Osaro Obazee = 114. Dr. Pius Odubu = 170.

    2. Esan Northeast LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1 467. Osaro Obazee = 139. Dr. Pius Odubu = 176.

    3. Esan Southeast LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,400. Osaro Obazee = 144. Dr. Pius Odubu = 205.

    4. Esan West LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,455. Osaro Obazee = 162. Dr. Pius Odubu = 220.

    5. lgueben LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1 300. Osaro Obazee = 178. Dr. Pius Odubu = 251.

    C) Edo North Senatorial District:

    1. Etsako Central LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1 333. Osaro Obazee = 238. Dr. Pius Odubu = 326.

    2. Etsako East LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,529. Osaro Obazee = 105. Dr. Pius Odubu = 196.

    3. Etsako West LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,754. Osaro Obazee = 150. Dr. Pius Odubu = 262.

    4. Akoko-Edo LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,335. Osaro Obazee = 185. Dr. Pius Odubu =262.

    5. Owan East LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,606. Osaro Obazee = 162. Dr. Pius Odubu = 230.

    6. Owan West LGA – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu = 1,537 Osaro Obazee = 216. Dr. Pius Odubu = 307.

  • BREAKING: Oshiomhole’s annointed candidate, Ize-Iyamu emerges Edo APC guber candidate

    BREAKING: Oshiomhole’s annointed candidate, Ize-Iyamu emerges Edo APC guber candidate

    Adams Oshiomhole’s annointed aspirant in the Edo All Progressives Congress, APC guber primary, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has emerged as the party’s flag bearer in the scheduled September Governorship race.

    Chairman of the Edo State APC Primary Election Committee, Governor Hope Uzodinma, declared Ize-Iyamu winner of the election after collating the results turned in by the returning officers in the 18 local government areas of the state.

    He polled 27,838 votes, while his closest rival, Dr Pius Odubu scored 3,776, and Mr Osaro Obaze got 2,751 votes.

    With the result, Ize-Iyamu will face other contenders in the September 19 governorship election in the state.

    Details soon..

  • N700m Fraud: Court adjourns case involving Ize-Iyamu, four others

    N700m Fraud: Court adjourns case involving Ize-Iyamu, four others

    A Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, on Thursday, June 18, 2020, adjourned the money laundering case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Pastor Osagie Ize -Iyamu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Edo State in 2016 election and four others to July 2.

    According to a release by the EFCC, the other four defendants are Lucky Imasuen, former deputy governor of Edo State; Chief Dan Orbih, PDP chairman in Edo State; Tony Aziegbemi and Efe Erimuoghae.

    At Thursday’s sitting, prosecution counsel, Francis Jibro told the court that the matter was for ruling on the competence of the eight-count charges preferred against the defendants.

    The presiding Judge, M. G. Umar, ruled that the charges filed by the Commission against the defendants were not defective. The defendants had at the last sitting, challenged the charges on the ground that they contained the name of Chief Tony Anenih, who is now deceased.

    Soon after the ruling, counsel to the first defendant, Charles Edosomwan, SAN, told the court that he has filed a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court.

    “In spite of the ruling, we have a motion dated June 1 2020, challenging the jurisdiction of this honourable court to entertain proceedings”. The same position was canvassed by counsels to the other defendants.

    However, Jibro told the court that based on the ruling of the court which found the charges not defective, the next thing was for the defendants to take their pleas. He told the court that the defence counsels were not to dictate to the court.

    “The stage is set for us to proceed based on the ruling of the court this morning, not this motion. My Lord has ruled that any objection can be taken after the plea has been taken. No exception.”

    Ferdinand Orbih, SAN, counsel to Dan Orbih said he was not challenging the ruling of court but the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear the matter.

    Justice Umar adjourned the case to July 2, 2020, for hearing.

    Pastor Ize-Iyamu and other defendants were first arraigned before Justice P. I. Ajoku on an eight-count charge bordering on money laundering on May 24, 2018.

    The defendants were alleged to have sometime in March 2015, in Benin City, directly taken possession of the sum of N700 million without any contract award which sum was allegedly part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: fraud and corruption.

    One of the count reads: That you Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Lucky Imasuen, Tony Azigbemi, Chief Dan Orbih, Efe Erimuoghae Anthony and Chief Anthony Anenih (now at large) sometime March 2015 in Benin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did directly take possession and control of the sum of 700,000,000.00 (seven hundred million naira) only without any contract award which sum you reasonably ought to have known form part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit; fraud and corruption and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended by the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Amendment Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3)of the same Act.

  • Edo APC Primary: Obazee steps down, declares support for Ize-Iyamu

    Edo APC Primary: Obazee steps down, declares support for Ize-Iyamu

    An aspirant in the forthcoming Edo governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osaro Obazee on Wednesday bowed out of the race and declared his support for another aspirant, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

    Recall that Obazee was one of the three aspirants cleared by the APC Screening Committee to participate in the party’s primary scheduled for June 22. However, he announced yesterday his decision to step down from the race and endorse Pastor Ize-Iyamu.

    He pledged his support, alongside that of his followers, to the former Secretary to the State Government who is widely predicted to emerge as the flagbearer.

    In his reaction, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, speaking through a statement signed by Prince John Mayaki, the Director of Communication and Media of his Campaign Organisation, expressed gratitude to Osaro Obazee and described his support as another “important boost” for his aspiration days before the primary election.

    He said: “Hon. Osaro Obazee is a fine politician whose entrance into the race no doubt injected more life and excitement. He campaigned from his heart and took his message to members and followers of our party across the state. I am grateful to him for his endorsement and very confident that it will provide an important boost to our bid as we approach the primary election of our great party.”

    Pastor Ize-Iyamu also received the endorsement of all serving members of the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress earlier this week.

  • Edo primary: Court adjourns to June 17

    The Federal High Court in Benin, yesterday, adjourned hearing in the suit seeking to stop the APC from adopting the direct mode of primary to nominate the party’s governorship for Edo State to June 17.

    The primary has been fixed for June 22.

    The presiding judge, Mohammed Umar, restrained himself from hearing the matter following an appeal and application for stay of execution filed by the APC.

    The suit was filed by factional Vice Chairman of the party, Pastor Kenneth Asekomhe and a governorship aspirant, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen.

    Counsel to the defendants, Roland Otaru, told the court that it lacked the jurisdiction to have urged the parties to maintain the status quo in its earlier ruling, adding that as a result, they decided head for the Appeal Court.

    He said the issue of jurisdiction is like a ‘traffic light’ that should be obeyed and that going ahead will amount to judicial recklessness.

    He prayed the court to hands off the matter as it had already been appealed at the higher court and that if the higher court decided otherwise, they had no option than to come back to the High Court.

  • Obaseki’s Covid-19 argument for indirect primary illogical – Ize-Iyamu

    A leading governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has described arguments put forward by Governor Godwin Obaseki to back his preference for indirect mode of governorship primary election on June 22 as illogical.

    He insisted the direct type of governorship primary election, approved on May 21 by members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC was the most appropriate mode to prevent the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

    Ize-Iyamu, in a statement by the Director of Communication and Media of his campaign organisation, Prince John Mayaki, dismissed claim by Obaseki that direct primary would pose a public health risk amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He accused the Governor of planning to rig the indirect primary, which he is canvassing for.

    He said: “‎We have watched and listened with amusement, the very unintelligent argument being canvassed by Obaseki and his clan of jesters, in an attempt to stop the APC from holding a governorship primary election in Edo State.

    “Obaseki’s argument that conducting direct primary will aid the spread of coronavirus is most illogical. What will rather aid the spread of COVID-19 pandemic is indirect primary, his preferred mode, where over 5,000 delegates and officials, including journalists, will crowd Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, in total disregard to the social distancing precautionary measure, one of the protocols put in place to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

    “The direct mode of primary, apart from being more democratic, as it involves all party members voting in their wards to nominate their preferred governorship aspirant, will take place in open fields or spaces in a disperse manner, with very few delegates, thus ensuring observance of social distancing.”

    The 2016 governorship candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state also accused Obaseki of trying to hide under the excuse of fear of the spread of coronavirus, which he described as an afterthought to avoid imminent defeat at the party’s direct primary election.

    The former Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG) also stated that he was shocked to learn on Monday that Obaseki gave approval to members of PDP in the state to conduct their Tuesday’s congresses across the 192 wards, to elect delegates for the party’s governorship primary election, fixed for June 23.

    He said: “The arrival of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State to Edo State at the behest of the state’s chapter of the PDP, saw Obaseki contradict his own words and gave approval for the conduct of ward congresses across the state, a decision that exposes his supposed public health concern as an exaggerated lie, manufactured only to strong arm the APC into choosing indirect mode of primary election he considers favourable to his political survival.

    “Obaseki has been struggling to justify his action of granting approval for ward congresses to the PDP that is not different from a direct primary exercise, even as he continues to frustrate efforts of his party, the APC, to do the same, without the duplicative event of another state congress.”

    Edo Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, was contacted for his reactions to the allegations had not responded as at press time.

  • JUST IN: APC displays Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu, four other Edo guber aspirants’ credentials

    JUST IN: APC displays Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu, four other Edo guber aspirants’ credentials

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday displayed certificates of all the six governorship aspirants seeking the party’s ticket ahead of the September 19 Edo State governorship election.

    The credentials of Governor Godwin Obaseki and five other aspirants, who have bought, completed and submitted the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms on display include Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Hon. Dr. Pius Odubu, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, Hon. Osaro Obazee and Hon. Matthew Aigbuhuenze Iduoriyekemwen.

    These credentials were on display at both the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja and the Edo State chapter office in Benin.

    Details shortly…

  • Edo 2020: I challenge you to open debate on moral uprightness, Obaseki’s deputy, Shaibu tells Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu, others

    Edo 2020: I challenge you to open debate on moral uprightness, Obaseki’s deputy, Shaibu tells Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu, others

    Apparently peeved by the way things are unfolding ahead of Edo All Progressives Congress, APC primaries, Deputy Governor, Phillip Shaibu has challenged National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Osagie Ize-Iyamu and other governorship aspirants in Edo State to an open debate on moral uprightness and service delivery.

    Shaibu who has since turned his back on his political godfather, Oshiomhole made declaration mincing without words saying: “I am throwing an open invitation to anyone who has the moral standing of Godwin Obaseki to come out and defend their statements in an open debate.”

    This was contained in a press statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Benjamin Atu, the deputy governor said “the nature of a political system is a factor that usually conditions the expectation and behaviour of political actors’’.

    The deputy governor attributed the present crisis in the party to the various means and strategies used by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to direct the behaviour and actions of his political associates.

    “Adams Oshiomhole has created a political system that has made it difficult for leaders to lead effectively and for followers to follow voluntarily” he said

    He hailed Governor Godwin Obaseki’s harshest critics for acknowledging his impeccable honesty, competence and humble life style.

    ‘’We have given voice to the voiceless. The government has returned power to the masses. We run a transparent government where our records can be evaluated. It beats my imagination that the same man who betrayed an arrangement suddenly turned 360 degree against his words and started tormenting the government’’.

    The deputy governor challenged Oshiomhole and other governorship aspirants to a public debate so that the good people of Edo State can judge for themselves their track record.

    ‘’This is the time for the people to know about our performance and evaluate our government based on our achievements in office. If Adams Oshiomhole and members of his factional group have the moral turf of the government of the day in Edo State, let them come and tell the world in an open debate” he said.

  • Edo APC Primary Latest: I’ll beat Obaseki hands down to clinch APC ticket – Ize-Iyamu boasts

    Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu on Wednesday said that he will beat Governor Godwin Obaseki at the primary.

    But, the governor said he was confident of winning re-election because “power comes from God.”

    He said the governor cannot get the second term ticket because he has alienated party members in his first term.

    Ize-Iyamu recalled that Obaseki was more or less imposed on the state, stressing that he has disappointed the party and those that supported his first term bid.

    Speaking on a television programme after collecting his nomination form in Abuja, he said the direct primary being proposed by the party’s national leadership was in order.

    Ize-Iyamu accused the governor of chasing shadows and oppressing party members instead of focusing on governance.

    He maintained that he will beat the governor at the primary, stressing: “I am an Edo person. The governor has not done well. The criticism would have been louder if we are not in the same party with him.

    “Primaries are done by political parties. Political parties are about members. You said the members are not important, the party members you insulted and disgraced. In a free and fair primary, Obaseki cannot emerge.”

    But, Obaseki, in an earlier interview with the station, said he was confident that the way he got into power is the same way he would return.

    “God gave me power. If he wants me to return I will continue. No man can stop me. Power comes from God,” he said.

    Obaseki said he believes an election should not lead to bloodshed.

    The governor said he was not distracted, adding that his focus is on developing Edo State.

    “Our concern is to use the resources of the people to develop the state.

    “This shouldn’t lead to bloodshed. We will not accept to be cowed and intimidated because some people think that they can manipulate rules and cut corners,” he added.