Ize-Iyamu denies hijacking Edo APC congresses, promising ex-RTEAN president N200m

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the September 19, 2020 election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has denied hijacking the recent ward and local government area congress of the party in the state.

Besides, Ize-Iyamu vehemently denied pledging a sum of N200 million to Mr Adams Ehigiamusoe, the former national chairman of the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).

Ehigiamusorme, popularly called Shaba had also petitioned the national secretariat of the party alleging that Ize-Iyamu hijacked the recent wards and local government congress of the APC in Edo State.

According to a statement in Benin on Tuesday by the assistant Edo State Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr Victor Ofure Osehobo, Ize-Iyamu, however, challenged Shaba to mention when, where, how and why he (Ize-Iyamu) made the promise of N200 million gift.

Osehobo reminded that Pastor Ize-Iyamu had reiterated that he never had such a deal with Shaba.

He said: “In one of his many claims he said that Ize-Iyamu pledged the sum of N200 million to his union and since the election one year ago he was awaiting its redemption. Pastor Ize-Iyamu has said and for the umpteenth time that he never had such a deal with Shaba.”

The assistant scribe also slammed what he described as Shaba’s desperate message to the national secretariat of the party shortly before the last September 4 local government congress, where he demanded that the erstwhile governorship candidate be called to order, or as he claimed, “APC will be dead in Edo State”.

Osehobo said: “While it is disheartening that an ordinary party member who does not understand the modus operandi of a progressive party can threaten the national secretariat of the ruling party of a country like Nigeria, Ize-Iyamu has also said he has no plans to hijack any party and as such calling him to order as Shaba is demanding is primitive, weird and uncalled for.

“Ize-Iyamu has never been a ward, local government, state or national official of the APC. To date, he has not been delegated to head any of the committees set up by the national secretariat, to oversee any of the two congresses which the party has held successfully, so far across the country. He was not appointed to even supervise any of the exercises in Edo state.”

He continued: “At no time in the past also did Ize-Iyamu meet with officials on such serious party assignments to speak about hijacking the party. He never made them any promise, before or during the ward or local government congresses and certainly has no plans to do so before or during the forthcoming state congress of the party.”

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