Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, on Wednesday, declared his interest to contest in the Edo State governorship election next year on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Ize-Iyamu was the party’s candidate in the 2020 election.

He said the party was sabotaged by its leaders outside the state but insisted that the APC must win the election this time and that he remains the best candidate for the party.

Ize-Iyamu stated this when he met with the members of APC’s state executive at the party secretariat.

At the meeting, he lauded the leadership qualities of former governor now a senator, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who he said was the only National Chairman of the party under whose leadership the party provided money for candidates during elections.

Ize-Iyamu also commended the leadership of the party for keeping the party intact despite being in opposition in the state.

‘We must win’
According to Ize-Iyamu, “Next year is critical. We’ll be going into elections again. By September, there will be an election for the office of the governor and by November, the new governor will be sworn in.

“That is why our party must do everything possible to ensure that we win that election. All the work you have done so far, all the dedication, the commitment of our members, everything will be nothing if, by next year, we are not in the government house.

“When you look at the calibre of people here, you ask ‘How can APC be in a position?’

“It was a mistake. It was an error and by the grace of God, it will not repeat itself. That election must be won.

“We did not win that election not because our party was not on the ground, not because the candidate, my humble self, was unpopular.

“We lost that election because our leaders outside the states chose to work against us. That is the truth. Some of our governors chose to work against our party.

“Somebody told me today, I didn’t even know before; one of our APC governors brought money to be given to the deputy governor.

“So they took it to my running mate Gani Audu. And the man said ‘Oga, the governor said before I give you I should call him to talk to you’.

“So he called and Gani took the phone and the APC governor asked ‘Is that Philip?’.

“He said ‘No, this is Gani Audu’. And he (the governor) shouted ‘Gani who? Please give the phone back to him’.

“And the man collected the money and said it was a mistake. By the grace of God, affliction will not rise in this election. We will win,” Ize-Iyamu added