Hon. Paul Ohonbamu, a former Commissioner for Information in Edo state on Thursday said most of the things Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said about Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu during the 2016 governorship election in Edo state were false.
Ohonbamu, who resigned from the cabinet of Governor Godwin Obaseki in June is a member of the Election Strategy, Research and Planning of the APC Campaign Council for the September 19 governorship election in Edo state.
In his letter of resignation, Ohombamu had said “I am particularly delighted that His Exellency’s second term bid is firm and surefooted”.
When contacted by Daily Independent, he said he withdrew his support for Governor Obaseki as he cannot follow him to his new party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He also predicted that the APC candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu will win the election as the PDP cannot match the APC in Edo state.
“I am supporting the APC and our governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Even after I resigned I was still holding sessions for him, meeting the media and other people. I did that so they can know that one can be a leader without title.
But the moment the governor joined the PDP, I decided to stay in APC. I have never been in PDP, I’ve not been there and I can never be there”.
“I believe my party’s candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu will win. All the things said about him during the 2016 governorship election are not true; it is just politics. All the things Oshiomhole said then were not true.
It was just to de-market Ize-Iyamu so that the people of Edo can vote for Governor Obaseki”.
“Ize-Iyamu has proven himself to be a durable product. You cannot kill him. Look at the long time he has been in politics and he is still very relevant even without holding political office. Other people would have long expired. He has established himself in Edo as a force to reckon with that is impossible to ignore”.
“I will refer to the Greek philosopher, Protagoras who said “”Of all things the measure is Man, of the things that are, that they are, and of the things that are not, that they are not”.
We all know that Ize-Iyamu was called to Bar but you heard Oshiomhole said in 2016 that even though he is a lawyer, he wasn’t called to Bar”.
“This goes to tell you that many of the things that were said about Ize-Iyamu were falsehood to de-market and spoil him. He said all those things in order to give Governor Obaseki the upper hand. But I know that there is no cause for alarm. Man said those things, the same man will correct it”.
