By Modupe Gbadeyanka
**Urges Ize-Iyamu to Demand Refund of Campaign Expenses from Oshiomhole
The loss of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just-concluded governorship election in Edo State has continued to generate reactions.
A chieftain of the ruling party at the central government, Mr Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, blamed a former national chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, for the woeful performance at the poll.
Candidate of the PDP, Governor Godwin Obaseki, was declared as winner of the exercise after polling 307,955 votes to defeat his APC opponent, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who raked 223,619 votes.
Mr Obaseki became Governor of the state in 2016 under the APC platform but was denied ticket of the party in 2020 after a misunderstanding with his predecessor, Mr Oshiomhole. This forced him to approach the PDP for a ticket to seek a second term in office.
Reacting to the APC loss at the poll held over the weekend, Mr Eze said the leadership style of the former labour leader cost the party the opportunity to retain Edo State.
He said it was unfortunate that Edo State has been added to the league of states like Zamafara, Rivers, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Sokoto, Adamawa, and Oyo States where “sheer administrative incompetence and gross leadership malady occasioned by the self-styled and kooky steering model of Adams Oshiomole scuttled the electoral chances of the APC and deprived the majority from having their way.”
According to him, the outcome of the Edo gubernatorial election confirmed that “Oshiomhole’s membership of the APC is a curse which has brought brutal misfortune and severe affliction on the party.”
He said the gains and achievements recorded by the party under the “sterling leadership of Mr John Odigie-Oyegun as national chairman have been swept away by the dangerous flood of an unending catastrophe which has overwhelmed the party as a result of Oshiomhole’s disastrous and poor approach to leadership and party politics, stressing that the former labour leader must formally apologise to President Mohammadu Buhari and members of the APC for the serial embarrassments and heavy damages occasioned by his hinky and very quirky carriage.”
While congratulating Mr Obaseki for striving to extinguish godfatherism in Edo State, he urged the Governor to “forgive Oshiomhole and all those who helped him cause havoc in the APC,” asking him to “begin the process of taking back his position in the progressives family which he described as his natural habitat considering his numerous sacrifices and contributions in the formation of the party, assuring that his place in the APC is still very much reserved and intact.”
Also, the APC stalwart counselled Mr Ize-Iyamu to prevail on Mr Oshiomhole to offset all his electoral expenses, emphasising that it was the former Governor’s damaging campaign against him as well as his poor leadership mannerisms that caused him and the APC the election.
He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies for displaying a high degree of competence and professionalism which translated into a peaceful and very successful electoral outing.
Mr Eze called on Nigerians to commend President Muhammadu Buhari for allowing a transparent process, describing him as a true statesman and democrat, saying the President “equalled the democratic feat of Dr Goodluck Jonathan, who allowed the votes of Edo people to count in 2012 when Adams Oshiomhole was reelected as Edo Governor against all odds.”
Adedapo Adesanya