Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 19 governorship election in Edo State, on Friday said he will continue to pursue peace and concentrate on his SIMPLE agenda throughout the electioneering campaign.

He also assured the people of the state that contrary to fears being expressed, the election will be violence-free as the APC will not resort to insults but run an issue-based campaign.

Speaking while addressing media executives in Lagos, Ize-Iyamu said when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in collusion with the Edo state government destroyed his billboards which were paid for, he appealed to his loyalists not respond in kind, adding that no single billboard of the PDP has been destroyed in the state.

In his words: “We have said that we want this election to be issue-based. We don’t want to resort to name-calling and insults. We want to focus on our SIMPLE agenda. I can assure you that we as a party will do everything to avoid violence.

“The PDP has posters and billboards all around the place. In fact, they started before us by putting billboards around the place. We got agents to help us ask the state government how much we need to pay for the available spaces, they told us and we paid.

However, a top government official said how can they allow APC to have billboards in strategic locations? He then ordered them to go and remove the billboards. So, they began to remove our billboards.

“Rather than resolve to violence, we wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police, we also did the same thing to Director of DSS and Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon addressed the press where he advised the PDP to be accommodating, tolerant and avoid things that could trigger violence.

“We could have taken the law into our hands by destroying their billboards also but we didn’t do it. From then till now, they have not mentioned that one of their billboards was destroyed. They destroyed our billboards at night, we too could have done any of their own at night but we just left it".

So, let me assure you that by the grace of God, there will be no violence. We will do our best by cooperating with the security agencies and other relevant authorities and then, we believe it will be peaceful.”

On the issue of moles within the APC, Ize-Iyamu said the party has put in place modalities to deal with them. He also said he will focus more on using the media to get his message across to the people as he intends to limit physical contact due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.independent.ng/why-i-didnt-retaliate-when-obasekis-loyalists-destroyed-my-billboards-ize-iyamu/

Waiting I know

It's because of politricks...... PINNED

The political atmosphere in Nigeria is always thuggish. Once you are contesting as an opposition party candidate in a state or federal election, you are bound to suffer some frustrating moves. Even in ths last elections in Lagos, I don't think the PDP candidate had approval to even place his campaign posters in strategic billboards just like the APC candidate did, its same with using state media houses. So u can't retaliate Oga Ize Iyamu, but trust me you will do same if you had state power against any opposition element cos we don't understand how to win elections fairly in this part of the world.