Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Edo State 2016 gubernatorial election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has hinted of imminent mass exodus of party leaders and members from the state chapter of the party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), where he now belongs. 
He dropped the hint in apparent r‎eaction to the comments of the state chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, who had earlier said that his (Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s) exit from the party would not affect its electoral fortunes in the state.
‎Pastor Ize-Iyamu who gave the hint while chatting with journalists in Benin, said his movement from the PDP to the APC generated a lot of controversies, but stressed that the country’s Constitution gives him and his supporters the right of association.
“I have my reasons for going back to the‎ APC which I contributed informing. The place I left, some people are not happy and are attempting to throw stones. The same goes for the APC I have joined but I will not retaliate by throwing stones back”, he said.
Pastor Ize-Iyam‎u explained that he was born and has lived all his life in Edo State and has decided to be one of those to solve the problems of the state, adding that at the time he left the APC, he left with anger but that time has healed the wounds and he has returned to the party to add value, strenghten it and ensure that the APC is connected to the grassroots.
Asked if his return to the APC was not as a result of his desperation for power, the former PDP governorship candidate replied by saying that people mistake passion and determination in life for desperation, pointing out that one of his major drives in politics is to provide good governance.
“I really want to be in a party that want to access government for the purpose of using government to the benefit of the people.
“I am passionate about having a party that would develop Edo State but I am not burning. I am going to APC to add value and strengthen the party”, Ize-Iyamu said.
On the crisis rocking the Edo APC, he said‎ “it is not as deep as people think, it’s just disagreement among few individuals”.