The Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Dr. Salihu Lukeman, has cautioned Adams Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of the party over his involvement in the governorship campaign in Edo State.
Lukman urged the former APC National Chairman to “calm down”, adding that the party’s governorship candidate in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu should be allowed to lead his own campaign.
The DG of APC’s PGF, in a statement also urged Oshiomhole to adopt the campaign model of Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the APC that allows the party and candidates to market themselves.
“As opposed to reconciliation, it is loud drums of war that has taken over the airwaves in Edo State. Comrade Oshiomhole has relocated to Edo State and taken over the APC campaign.
“The APC campaign is personalised around Comrade Oshiomhole and the candidate of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is an onlooker.
“We need to appeal to Comrade Oshiomhole to ‘calm down’. This campaign is not about his person.
“If the Edo State APC campaign is to go ahead this way, when APC wins the election who will run the affairs of the state as Governor? Is it Comrade Oshiomhole or Pastor Ize-Iyamu? If our party wants Edo people to vote for our candidate, Pastor Ize-Iyamu must be very visible and be seen as the face of the campaign.
“Comrade Oshiomhole should take a backseat and play the facilitatory role our leaders play in all similar circumstances. Lagos state governorship election since 2007 present a good model. Without any doubt, our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may be argued to be very influential in the emergence of candidates, from Babatunde Raji Fashola, Akinwumi Ambode to our current Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.”
Oshiomhole and the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki have been involved in a face-off that led to the Governor’s disqualification from APC ahead of the party’s primary election.
It is widely believed that Oshiomhole was behind Obaseki’s disqualification due to their irreconcilable differences.
Against this backdrop, Obaseki had defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were he emerged as the party’s governorship candidate for the September 19 election.
