Exposed! Obaseki was rigged to power in 2016 – APC chieftain

A rare confession, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state, Mr. Tony Audun, otherwise known as Kabaka has said he and others unnamed persons manipulated the 2016 governorship election in favour of incumbent governor Godwin Obaseki.

He said the alleged “abracadabra”, (a euphemism that often used as substitute for offensive term) ensured that the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, was defeated at the poll by a narrow margin.

However, Ize-Iyamu has now joined the APC and he is seeking the party’s ticket to contest the state’s governorship election billed for September.

Kabaka who made the claim in a  viral video called on Comrade Adams Oshiomhole,  the National Chairman of the party to remain firm in the emergence of a “marketable candidate” if the party desire to retain the state.

He said only the emergence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the APC candidate would guarantee victory for the party at the poll; because according to him, Ize-Iyamu has his supporters spread across the three senatorial district of the state.

“If we don’t want to lose the governorship election,  Edo state APC leaders should wake up from your slumber. I cannot  fight for the present  (Obaseki) government to come on board. And be fighting again for my party to stand.

“A lot of members of the opposition parties are waiting for Ize-Iyamu to pick the APC ticket so that they will defect to the party.

“People will say, Pastor just returned to the party. It is not like that, it’s by his contacts across the three senatorial  district in the State.

“I remembered  when we all joined hands to campaign to bring Obaseki on board in 2016, it was very difficult for us to succeed. If not that abracadabra took place.

“If we don’t want to gamble with this election, Ize-Iyamu is the right candidate. When we joined hands to fight him in 2016,  we won with a narrow escape even with the abracadabra

“When Obaseki was contesting, we robbed Ize-Iyamu’s mandate and gave it to Obaseki. And  Ize-Iyamu has come to take back his mandate.

“Now a lot of persons are now on the side of Ize-iyamu. If you love your party and not your interest, you should join  Pastor

“He  (Ize-Iyamu has joined the APC before people stared printing campaign posters and campaigning. I tell you, he is a credible candidate,” Kabaka said.

Continuing, the Party chieftain blamed Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for insisting on Obaseki as his successor which according to him was against party members’ will at the time, adding that the governor had neglected everyone.

He clarified that the Edo Peoples Movement (EPM), a faction of the state APC was not inaugurated for the sole purpose of governorship primary but” to ensure that aggrieved members don’t leave the party”.

Governor Godwin Obaseki had said members of the EPM comprises of greedy politicians who do not mean well for the state.