By TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, Lagos

Prince Tony Momoh, a former Minister of Information, on Sunday said he won’t be surprised if

President Muhammadu Buhari and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole campaign for Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu if he emerges the governorship flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo governorship election.

Critics have wondered how President Buhari will campaign for Ize- Iyamu, who is currently standing trial for alleged N700m fraud brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Also, there are viral videos in which Oshiomhole said a lot of negative things about Ize-Iyamu’s character during the 2016 governorship election.

In one of the videos, Oshiomhole had said his distrust for Ize-Iyamu with public funds prevented him from appointing the PDP candidate after he was re-elected as Governor in 2012.

According to Oshiomhole, “I didn’t appoint Ize-Iyamu because of his past record, I would not be comfortable to put government money in his hand, that is why I kept him completely out of government, I didn’t even give him a board appointment. He was part of the government that looted Edo State treasury. Don’t put the key to your kitchen in the hands of someone you don’t trust”.

However, speaking in a chat with Daily Independent, Momoh who is one of the leaders of APC said it won’t come to him as a surprise if President Buhari and Oshiomhole campaign for Ize-Iyamu as “there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics but permanent interests”.

His words “The motto of politics is lying. For instance, an American congressman was told to apologise before leaving the Congress because of fraud but he refused, saying he won’t apologise.

He said he was only exercising his calling as a politician to tell lies”.

“So, politicians tell lies and they live on lies. That was why I said If I had contested, I will not win a ward election because I will tell my people that the resources to do roads, water and other things will be determined by how much they pay in tax”.

“But an average politician will come and promise to give them free education, free houses, pay for your weddings and then on the basis of those promises, the people will vote for him. If politicians quarrel and almost kill themselves today, if they see themselves tomorrow, they will still embrace”.

“That Oshiomhole campaigned against Ize-Iyamu in 2016 doesn’t mean that they are permanent enemies. That is why they said no permanent friend in politics but permanent interests. If tomorrow, Oshiomhole now wants to campaign for Ize-Iyamu and he says Ize-Iyamu is the best politician in the world, it is normal in politics”.

” If Ize-Iyamu becomes APC candidate of APC, as national chairman, he cannot go out and say Ize-

Iyamu is a bad man, don’t vote for him. That is politics for you”. (Sunday Independent)

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