The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has alerted the international community and the civil society groups over harassment and detention of members of the party ahead of the forthcoming election.
He also warned against the rigging of the election, insisting that the consequence of manipulating the election in favour of the All Progressives Congress(APC) would be too grave to manage.
Pastor Ize-Iyamu stated this at the weekend during his interactive session with members of the civil society coalition in Benin-City, the Edo State capital.
In a statement by the Pastor Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation, he said that members of the PDP are continuously being provoked by those he described by thugs and miscreants of the APC.
He said: “Before you know it, the same thugs will invite the police and innocent people are arrested; they are denied bail and when the agitation for bail becomes very pronounced, the police men decide to wash their hands off; it is because they know there is nothing in it. They will say it is assault, and disturbance of peace.
“And as they get to the Magistrate court, the Ministry of Justices will set in and say it is interested.”
The candidate said that many innocent PDP members are currently languishing in many police stations, especially the Sapele Road Police Station, saying that their offence was that they were attacked by APC’s thugs, and later arrested by the police, while pasting posters.
Advising the international community and the civil society groups to speak out now, Pastor Ize-Iyamu reminded them that an injury to one is an injury to all, saying, if the situation is allowed to continue, it would amount to inviting anarchy.
He said if the situation is not immediately checked, it would get to a stage where members of the PDP would no longer respect the police, and the people would begin to protect themselves.
He added: “I want to appeal to the international community and leaders of the civil society group to call the Edo State government to order. The APC today came in when the PDP was in government at the federal level. If former President Goodluck Jonathan had decided to use INEC, police and other security agencies, I am sure the story would have been different today, ’’ he further stated.


My husband will make Edo investment haven
–Obaseki’s wife

Wife of the APC candidate, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, has expressed confidence that her husband will make Edo State attractive to investors and bring about prosperity for the people, if elected governor.
Mrs. Obaseki, who was speaking during the Archdiocesan Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) interactive session with wives of governorship candidates in the state, said the Godwin Obaseki administration would focus on human capital development and women empowerment initiatives across the state.
“With over 30 years experience in investment management and wealth creation, and having been key to the success of the Oshiomhole government in the last 8 years, I have full confidence in the ability of my husband, Godwin Obaseki, to attract critical investment that would fast-track the progress and development of Edo State, and ensure a prosperous future for our people”, she said.
She assured that her husband would operate a women-friendly government, and provide micro-credit to traders and market women to boost their business and increase the commercial life in the state.
While appealing to the women to vote for a governor that is God- fearing and knowledgeable in running the affairs of the state, Mrs Obaseki called for prayers from the Catholic Women Organisation, saying: “as mothers we need to pray for a peaceful election as we wait for the will of God to be done.”
She encouraged the women to remain steadfast in their service of God and care for the needy in the Society.


…As Esan monarch endorses him

The  Onojie of Uzea Kingdom in Esan North East local government area of Edo State, HRH Solomon Iluobe, has endorsed the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Godwin Obaseki.
He gave the endorsement when the APC candidate paid a visit to his palace at the weekend for his royal blessings.
The Onojie while commending the APC for bringing development to his community said: “what we are waiting for is your swearing in, you are already the governor of Edo State.
“I have seen the handiwork of the APC and the development they brought to my domain. Though the work is yet to be completed,  I know you will do more as the next governor.
“I am assuring you, you don’t have a problem here in Uzea. As you leave,  I will call my people to make sure you don’t lose any vote in Uzea”, he assured.
Responding, Obaseki alongside his running mate, Hon. Philip Shaibu who thanked the monarch for receiving them, promised to construct the community road leading to Anegbette to attract investors to the area.
He assured the people that he would deploy teachers to schools in the community and upgrade its medical facility to standard to forestall the outbreak of epidemics.


godwin-obaseki

Related News

I’ll focus on agriculture to create jobs -Obaseki

From Tony Osauzo, Benin

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Godwin Obaseki, has promised to develop the agricultural sector by investing heavily in it because it is the key the state needs to open up and resuscitate its economy.
He made the promise at the weekend while addressing party supporters in Amedokhian, Uromi, in Esan North East local government area of the state.
He pointed out that the fall in crude oil price was a stack reminder to every right-thinking individual or group that the time to fully develop the agriculture sector is now, stressing that if voted into office, his administration will give the sector the attention it needs because it holds the key to sustainable economic regeneration and continuous employment creation in the state.
“We all know that crude oil has been the major backbone of our economy. We also know that right now, its price has fallen drastically. What we need to know is that developing the Agric sector is key to re-boosting our economy. We will do this by investing heavily on the hugely untapped agricultural potentials all over the state.
“By investing in the sector, the state will not only put its economy on the path of sustainable growth and feed its people, it will also increase our employment capacity”, he said.
According to the APC governorship hopeful, developing the sector to be the pillar on which the economic resuscitation of the state stands was not difficult because the state is naturally endowed with vast agricultural potential.
He said what was required is the political will to do the needful and assured that if voted into office, the people of the state would be glad that they did because he has the wherewithal, both in investment and political experience to do the needful.
“Edo State is blessed with arable land that is very suitable for large scale farming. If voted into office, my administration will place high premium on the development of the sector through continuous investment so that the state can feed the people, increase its economic profile and put thousands of people in employment. I have promised to deliver over 200,000 jobs within my administration’s first four years.
“It is not rocket science but a simple determination to do the needful. I am a specialist in investment and the good news is that each community in the state is blessed with so much agricultural potential that if well harnessed, the sky is our limit in terms of food sufficiency, economic growth and employment generation. That is why my administration will invest so much in the sector by bringing in investable funds. At the end of the day, our determination to provide the empowerment we talk about will be seen as it is achievable”, Obaseki said.


PDP tackles APC candidate on academic qualification

Less than a week after the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, announced the recovery of his missing certificates, the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged that Obaseki may have forged his secondary school certificate examination result to gain admission to the University of Ibadan.
Obaseki had during an interactive session with Civil Society groups in Benin last Wednesday disclosed that he has found the originals of his missing certificates over which loss he deposed to an affidavit at an Abuja Federal High Court on June 7 this year.
But raising issues over his academic qualifications, Edo PDP Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, at the weekend raised fresh allegations, claiming that Obaseki’s 1973 Certificate with which he gained admission to the University was doctored.
He spoke at a summit organised by the PDP to look at the challenges facing sports development and proffer  solutions to them.
Displaying ‎what he claimed was Obaseki’s certificate, Orbih said: “I have had Oshiomhole refer to him as a technocrat and the candidate himself describe himself as one.
“Here with me is the school certificate he used to gain admission to the University of Ibadan. In this result, he did not pass Economics, but he calls himself head of economic team. In the same certificate, he made P7 in English and failed Mathematics.
“He claimed he entered university the year he left secondary school. How could he have gained admission with such result? The result was not even good enough for any form of preliminary studies.
“This can only mean that Godwin Obaseki forged certificates to gain admission to the University of Ibadan. It is obvious that the man has no academic qualifications as he had only three credits”.
But reacting to Orbih’s allegation, coordinator of the Godwin Obaseki Campaign Organisation, Mr. Aiyewemkpen Osakue, described the allegation as unimaginable and tasked journalists to verify Obaseki’s academic qualifications at the University of Ibadan.
“For people who are hollow and intellectually deficient, of course, they could make all kinds of imaginable and unimaginable allegations to cover up the fact that they are not marketable,” he said.