Obaseki has nothing to settle with Ize-Iyamu, group tells Okunbor

THE Benin Progressive Front says Edo State governor-elect, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has no rift to settle with the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, in the September 28 gubernatorial election.

The socio-cultural group, in a statement signed by Mr Osato Imadiyi was reacting to a media report by a Bini-born billionaire, Captain Hosa Okunbor, in which he called on the Ize-Iyamu to close ranks in the interest of the Binis.

“Mr Hosa Okunbor should channel his energies at prevailing on Ize-Iyamu to withdraw from election petition tribunal because Obaseki has no personal rift to settle with him, except electoral matters,” the body stated on Thursday.

It would be recalled that Hosa Okunbor had said, “Both candidates belong to me. Pastor Ize-Iyamu is my very good friend; Godwin Obaseki is my family, so both of them are my own. But, I will not want to speak much about the election because as you know, I am no longer into partisan  politics. I am now an elder statesman. So, I just want the best for the state and peace for the state.”

In the statement, however, the group claimed: “If that is the case, as an elder statesman Captain Hosa Okunbor should not be seen to be making political comments in the media.

“Rather, he should advise the PDP candidate to gallantly accept defeat, as that is the honourable thing to do. There is nothing to reconcile! To close ranks, according to Hosa Okunbor, is to unite towards fighting a common course but Ize-Iyamu and Obaseki do not share any common course to pursue either as individuals or as representatives of their political parties.”

“Even the  Bini interest in question can hardly be said to be a common denominator to them as the Lucky Igbinedion regime which Ize-Iyamu was an integral part of, did not only fail to execute any meaningful projects in any part of Bini land, but also continuously denied the Oba of his statutory allocations.”

“What then can be adjudged as Bini interest in a man whose regime perpetually rivaled the palace which stands as the foremost symbol of Bini glorious history and present interest? On the other hand, even the blind can see the giant developmental strides brought in to Bini land by the Adams Oshiomhole administration of which Godwin Obaseki was the brainbox. The same Oshiomhole regime restored to the palace, all the statutory allocations denied it by the rapacious Lucky Igbinedion/Ize-Iyamu administration.

One wishes that Captain Hosa Okunbor had explained in more details what exactly he meant by ‘a Bini interest’ which Ize-Iyamu shares with Obaseki because the issue at stake here is Obaseki’s well earned electoral victory as against the ambition of Ize-Iyamu for which Hosa Okunbor should prevail on him to withdraw from Court.”