Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has emerged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nominee for the Edo State gubernatorial election scheduled to hold September 10.

In the primary which held Monday at the basketball court of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Ize-Iyamu got a total number of 684 votes from the party’s delegates to place first. Former Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mathew Uduoriyekemwen, came second with 91 votes. The third aspirant, Victor Edebiri, scored 38 votes.

The primary was attended by the PDP governors of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, and Gombe State, Alhaji Hassan Dankwambo.

In his acceptance speech, Ize-Iyamu thanked the party for organising a successful primary and praised the presence of the PDP governors, drawing contrast with the presence of only a single All Progressives Congress (APC) governor Aminu Masari, who was the main umpire in APC’s Saturday primary.

“Today we have two well educated PDP governors here,” Ize-Iyamu said, adding: “Unlike in the APC primary where we had just one governor and the state governor Adams Oshiomhole, who was acting as if he was contesting.”

The statement could be seen as an indirect appeal to disenchanted supporters of those who lost out at the APC primary, as Oshiomhole was heavily seen as the force behind the emergence of Godwin Obaseki as the APC nominee.

Ize-Iyamu added that “unlike the APC contest when a former governor was getting only 8 votes,” the PDP primary was more keenly contested.

Ize-Iyamu also sought to position himself as a lover and respecter of Edo traditional Oba (King) institution by assuring the Crown Prince of Edo kingdom, Prince Eheneden, of good governance if he becomes governor.

•Photo shows PDP nominee for the forthcoming Edo gubernatorial election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

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