From Moshood Karim
In the escalating political battle for the governorship of Edo State, Olu Martins, the Deputy Director-General of Media and Publicity for the Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council, has sharply criticized Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The critique comes in response to Ize-Iyamu’s comments regarding Governor Godwin Obaseki’s decision not to campaign alongside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.
Speaking on a national television program, Ize-Iyamu suggested that Governor Obaseki’s absence from Ighodalo’s campaign events was due to Obaseki’s perceived lack of performance, insinuating that the governor’s presence would be detrimental to the PDP candidate.
However, Martins issued a strong rebuttal in a statement released yesterday, accusing Ize-Iyamu and the APC of suffering from “collective amnesia” and contradicting their earlier claims.
He pointed out that the APC had previously accused Ighodalo of being Obaseki’s protégé, questioning why Obaseki would not campaign for Ighodalo if that were the case.
“Now they say Gov Obaseki doesn’t campaign with our candidate Dr. Ighodalo. What is their problem? It seems that the APC suffers from collective amnesia. If Gov Obaseki were Dr. Asue Ighodalo’s godfather, wouldn’t he be campaigning for him, especially if Dr. Asue were incapable of campaigning for himself like their own candidate who they have to micromanage like a kindergarten child who must wear pampers so he doesn’t defecate on himself,” Martins stated.
Martins defended Ighodalo as a capable and independent candidate, asserting that he does not require the governor’s accompaniment to convey his message and vision to the electorate.
He praised Governor Obaseki’s performance and impact on Edo State, describing him as an exemplary leader who has significantly improved governance in the state.
“Gov. Obaseki has done excellently well and everyone is aware. The claim that the candidate of our party doesn’t go around with Gov. Obaseki because of poor performance is a face-saving approach by the APC to distract from the issues of their lame and lackluster candidate. No governor since the creation of Edo State in 1991 has conceived, espoused, and executed lofty ideas of superlative governance that have impacted the Edo people’s life like Gov. Obaseki,” he added.
Martins further reminded Ize-Iyamu of the state’s troubled past under previous administrations, which he characterized as being dominated by corrupt practices and criminal elements. He credited Obaseki with transforming Edo State and moving it beyond the era of political thuggery and mismanagement.
“In case the pastor has forgotten, we would like to jolt his memory back to life that Edo State was a den of thieves and political jobbers who milked the State dry. Edo State was taken over by thugs and cultists that he himself once referred to as lions and tigers.
Truth is we have long moved past where APC left us when you could get money idly for just being a party leader and not having any daytime job,” Martins concluded.
As the campaign intensifies, the exchange highlights the contentious atmosphere and high stakes of the upcoming governorship election in Edo State.
