Edo 2020: Oshiomhole, not Ize-Iyamu, is my opponent – Obaseki

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State, says he is contesting against Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of the state, in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

The governor and his predecessor are currently political rivals seeking to edge out each other in the exercise billed to take place next month. While the former is seeking a second term in office, the latter is backing an opposition candidate to take power from his successor.

The opposition candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, seeks to be governor using the All Progressive Congress (APC), a platform analysts say Oshiomhole played a vital role in ensuring his successor was prevented from using for his re-election.

Addressing journalists in Lagos State today, Obaseki, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while highlighting his achievements in office, said he is contesting against Oshiomhole, and not Ize-Iyamu, the flagbearer of the APC.

“My opponent is Oshiomhole and not Ize-Iyamu because in Edo today, nobody will touch him,” he said while warning against the use of federal might – an unethical practice of using the military, being controlled by the federal government, to scare away voters and rig elections in favour of a party and its candidates.

“As a governor and statesman, I don’t want to talk about use of force and thuggery to subvert the will of the people. But, I am insisting that they should not try it because if they do so, any crisis that starts from Edo, which is in the middle of the country, will have a major effect on the rest of the country,” he added.

The governor also said his administration has laid the enabling environment which has brought in industries and business that have created jobs.

“The plantations alone between Okomu and PRESCO, since I came in have more than doubled their employments. In fact, this is their harvest season but they can’t find enough people to come and harvest for them.

“In terms of infrastructure; the number of contractors that have come in, what they are doing and the people they have employed cannot be imagined. So, we can say that over 150,000 have been tracked and the documents are there for anyone to verify,” Obaseki added.