By Peterson Ibi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council has announced the closure of campaign for the governorship ambition of its candidate in Saturday’s election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu,
Chairman of the campaign council, Mr. John Mayaki, said the campaign office closes officially by 10pm on Thursday, 17 September 2020.
While thanking the people of the state for their support and show of love for the party and Ize-Iyamu while the campaign lasted, Mayaki enjoined members of the public to disregard any campaign-related material that may purport to come from their campaign council.
“We are overwhelmed by the massive support, the plethora of endorsements, the approval and reception of our SIMPLE agenda, and the valiant spirit of Edo people, which we encountered in all the 192 wards of our powerful state.
“With all your support and participation, we are assured that our candidate will commence the good work of reinstating democracy and resurrecting Edo state as soon as possible.
“The public is hereby enjoined to disregard any campaign-related material that may purport to come from our council, and we encourage the good people of Edo to remain vigilant, safe, dogged and unyielding to oppression as the election draws closer.”
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has taunted Edo APC and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, over the botched campaign grand finale.
The Secretary, Publicity Sub-Committee of the governorship election in the state, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Thursday, said that Ize-Iyamu’s campaign has collapsed.
He said: “The PDP National Campaign Council for Edo governorship election says the inability of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to hold their campaign grand finale, scheduled for Wednesday, is a clear signal that they have given up.
“The APC and Ize-Iyamu have been weighed down and completely overwhelmed by the soaring popularity of Governor Godwin Obaseki across the state and had no option other than to abandon their campaign.
“We have been made aware that the APC campaign also collapsed under the weight of a bitter division within their ranks over alleged apprehensions of Ize-Iyamu’s possible disqualification due to unresolved legal issues surrounding his nomination; a development for which very influential APC leaders in Edo state as well as APC governors abandoned the campaign.
“Also, the final effort to lift Ize-Iyamu’s campaign with an underhand measure of hiding under the Micro Enterprise Enhancement Scheme (MEES) to attempt to buy the conscience of voters fell flat as the people of Edo state were quick to see through the plot.
“The campaign became frustrated as governors elected on the platform of APC distanced themselves from Ize-Iyamu campaign on the face of a near global sanctions on those undermining the nation’s electoral process,” Ologbondiyan said.
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