President Muhmmadu Buhari, on Friday, endorsed the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the upcoming Edo State governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
The President’s endorsement was conferred when the leadership of the party, led by the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee and governor of Yobe State, Mai Malla Buni, presented Ize-Iyamu to Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
Speaking with State House Correspondents during a briefing, Buni said President Buhari gave Ize-Iyamu his blessings at the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, has debunked rumours that members of the forum were opposed to Ize-Iyamu’s candidature.
The governor, who was part of the entourage that saw Ize-Iyamu to the reception by the President, said supporting the party’s candidate was just the natural thing for the PGF, recalling that the same gesture was extended to Mr Godwin Obaseki in 2016, when he was the party’s candidate.
“The question has been asked whether all APC governors are in full support of our candidate and the simple answer is yes. It is laughable to suggest otherwise. Progressive Governors Forum was solidly behind our party in the resolutions that was reached on June 25, that saw the emergence of the caretaker committee that saw the ratification of the candidature of Pastor Ize-Iyamu.
“We have consulted with the chairman of the caretaker committee in putting in place the campaign committee, which is ably chaired by the Governor of Kano State and supported by other governors and since the candidate emerged, since the ratification, all the APC governors have been working in different ways to ensure the success of our party and let me just remind some of you, this is not different from what we have done before.
“Four years ago we were in the same Edo state in very difficult election and we supported the incumbent governor then, Adams Oshiomhole to campaign for the party which saw the emergence of Godwin Obaseki as governor, what we are doing today is not different .
“For the Progressive Governors’ Forum, the defining thing is continuity of All Progressives Congress in governance at the the federal and across Nigeria and we will support our party any day. Our president has made it very clear about his expectations as to deliver our party in any elections and that is what we are going to do,” he said.
Meanwhile, Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has faulted the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
PDP’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Chris Osa Nehikhare said the meeting between Buhari and Ize-Iyamu was ill-advised and could dent the image of the president.
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