Ize-Iyamu To Obaseki: Please Return To APC

‌
Days after suffering defeat, the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 19th Edo governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has reportedly appealed to the winner and incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, to return to the APC.

Obaseki, who defeated Ize-Iyamu at poll on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had defected to the PDP after the APC denied him its ticket over discrepancies in his academic credentials.

Ize-Iyamu was said to have made the plea on Wednesday night in a television broadcast.

He was quoted to have said, “We are going to talk to everybody; we are going to bring everybody back. I want to salute my brother, the governor. I will like to appeal to him to return to the party. In every family, we have disagreement.

“Let it not be said that it was this disagreement that pushed him out. I made that mistake before and I have come to realise that it was a grievous error and I will not want him as a senior brother to make the same mistake.

“I will like to appeal to him to set aside his anger and come back. In APC, he is recognised as a leader and it would be difficult for him to be recognised as a leader in the new party he is going.”

The APC candidate had earlier reacted to the election result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He had said: “I hereby thank and appreciate my teeming supporters, who have had to endure many evils, including being prevented from exercising their franchise, for their support and determination during the election process.

“I assure you all that I am studying the results along with other party members and will announce the next line of action soon. God bless you all.”

But, Ize-Iyamu on Thursday, denied asking the governor to come back to the APC.

A statement issued by his media aide, John Mayaki, said the reported video was broadcast three months ago and not recently.

Mayaki said Ize-Iyamu was yet to address the press since the election result was announced.

He said: “The video in reference is from three months ago, not after the election.”