First let’s take on Pastor Osaze Ize Iyamu; his biggest weakness is that he is not a Team Player. While his biggest threat is that he is Oshiomole’s candidate—plus the fact that he is financially broke. A vote for him is therefore a vote for comrade Adams Oshiomole—and a return to the dreadful days of exploitation of the market women. Regardless of those APC bigwigs who are currently mouthing support, they will eventually fizzle out when the chips are down.
Some say a popular Benin oil magnate is financially behind his quest to unseat Obaseki/Shaibu but how will that stand in comparism to the heavy war chest available to them? On the other hand, Pastor Ize Iyamu is seen as a capitalists judging from his alleged massive acquisition of properties all over key States of the nation. Also In his days as SSG and COS to chief Lucky Igbinedion, many remembers with trepidation the lavish birthdays ceremonies, misappropriation of federal allocations, prolong absenteeism from office of key government officials and the rapid decay of social and economic infrastructures across board.
Government was run on the pages of television, newspaper adverts and generally, indiscipline was pervasive. People who visited his football field size mansion in GRA Benin suppressed their awe. Some actually said if he could acquire such as mere SSG and COS how much more what he would do as governor! Besides his mentor Adams Oshiomole has thoroughly lampooned his character, totally shredding his reputation– an action which would make him a hard sell.
A lot of political pundits see him as a wounded lion bidding his time to take his revenge on people—most especially Oshiomole himself and those who rejected him in the past. Above all, though, they call him Pastor and he graduated as a lawyer, the general consensus is that he is more of a political jobber than what he claimed to be. As for his intending deputy, Gani Audu, his biggest weakness is inexperience while his biggest threat is that he is a known Oshiomole boy. People see him as an opportunist who loves to project himself; first as LGA acting Chairman, then Chairman, PA to Oshiomole, then member House of Assembly.
Gani Audu is regarded as a sleepy personality, at worst insensitive to the yearnings of the masses, ignoring them most times and only surfacing when it matters most. He is more of an introvert, a loner who carries no weight and but for mother luck –and his allegiance to Oshiomole—he would have remained the enterprise manager he was before his forays into politics. If we are talking about providing good governance and delivering on expectations it is not likely to come from these two. Their administration would quickly signal the return of godfathers and extortions for they represent the face of the receding godfatherism.
