A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced a former PDP governorship candidate in Edo State, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a pastor, as its “consensus candidate’’ for the June 22 party primary.
Ize-Iyamu, a loyalist of the APC National Chairman and ex-governor of the state, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, emerged as the “consensus candidate’’ on Tuesday night at a meeting in Abuja.
He is expected to challenge incumbent Gov. Godwin Obaseki, who is locked in a bitter re-election battle with Oshiomhole.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed September 19 for the governorship poll and directed parties to hold their primaries in June.
Persecondnews recalls that Ize-Iyamu was the PDP governorship candidate in the 2016 governorship election, the Chief of Staff to Edo Governor Lucky Igbinedon from 1999-2003 and was later elevated to the Secretary to the State Government.
The Redeemed Church of God pastor-turned politician was the Director- General of Oshiomhole’s Campaign Organisation in his second term run.
Also, Ize-Iyamu was the erstwhile National Vice-Chairman, South-South Zone of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) before he defected to the People’s Democratic Party in 2016 to slug it out with Obaseki.
He was also the Coordinator of Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation in Edo State.
Ize-Iyamu was reportedly presented by the Chairman of the Screening Committee, Sen. Francis Alimikhena (Edo North) to the meeting.
Other members of the screening committee were a former Edo Deputy Governor Lucky Imasuen, retired Gen. Cecil Esekhaigbe; ex-Edo Speaker Thomas Okosun; former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives Samson Osagie; ex-member of the House of Representatives, Patrick Obahiagbon and Deputy Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr Peter Akpatason.
Meanwhile, Ize-Iyamu has picked nomination form from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
The politician, who was accompanied by supporters, stormed the secretariat on Wednesday afternoon.
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