Governors and top leaders of the the All Progressives Congress (APC)party yesterday met with the Edo State governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, in Abuja, where they insisted that the party’s victory in the September 9 gubernatorial election in Edo State is not negotiable.
According to reports, Ize-Iyamu, in his manifesto titled ‘’SIMPLE AGENDA,’’ signed a contract with the people of Edo State, which they will use to regularly hold him accountable.
One of the governors who attended the meeting told THISDAY that the governors and the National Campaign Council’s members used the meeting to review the preparations for the election and fine-tune strategies on how to win the poll.
Some of the state governors who attended the meeting include, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Senator Hope Uzondinma (Imo State); Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano); Mai Mala Buni (Yobe); Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and some members of the campaign council.
‘’The meeting was very fruitful, we reviewed the activities of the campaign council so far; and what is needed to strengthen the campaign. Our candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu also briefed the meeting and we were satisfied with his input. Let me say that Ize-Iyamu’s victory in the election is not negotiable; we will employ all democratic methods in ensuring we win the election.
‘’We have a very good candidate for the election, and our jobs have been made very simple. Pastor Ize-Iyamu is a grassroots politician, he is a man that has shown a single-minded determination to the politics of the state all his life.
‘’And this intuitive commitment has won him a lot of committed loyalists all over the state, Nigeria and in the Diaspora’’, the governor who spoke with journalists in confidence stated.
The meeting of the APC governors and leaders, according to insiders, was at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari, who was said to have directed them to ensure that the party wins the September governorship election in Edo State by deploring all their resources in mobilising the electorate for the party’s candidate.
it was gathered that Ize-Iyamu was also expected to meet with Fayemi and some ministers, led by the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Ameachi for another strategic meeting late last night in Abuja.
Meanwhile, Ize-Iyamu, has said that with his manifesto titled “SIMPLE AGENDA,’’ he has signed a contract with the people of Edo State, which they will use to regularly hold him accountable.
The SIMPLE AGENDA, according to him, encompasses socio-political, economic, welfare, jobs creation, women/youths empowerment, security and other issues, which will be deliberately and consistently implemented, immediately he is sworn by the grace of God in November this year as governor of Edo State.
“Although the potentials of the state are huge in terms of our ability to attract tourists, investments and quality jobs, but the current security situation in the state makes the realization of these potentials unrealistic and unattainable.
“Many of those in Diaspora have demonstrated their willingness to come home and invest their skills and material resources for the state’s development, given proper incentives.
“Unfortunately, the current level of insecurity in the state makes the realisation of its full economic potentials a pipe dream. We will provide an enabling environment for our people so that they can channel investments back to our state’’, Ize-Iyamu explained in a press statement issued by the Media Unit of his campaign organisation.
He argued that the global best practice approach to security delivery, which involves all stakeholders in the communities and the use of well-trained and motivated personnel will be adopted to make the people of the state to sleep with their two eyes closed once again.
