Pastor Osaze Ize Iyamu is a veteran of sort, a die-in-wool– incurable optimists who eternally sees himself as governor of Edo State someday. That day may soon break should he utilize all his opportunities. After all, they always call him “governor-in-waiting”. Never mind the ballistic insults poured on him by Comrade Adams Oshiomole with whom they have been engaged in ding-dung battle for supremacy in the past.
But the veteran Ize Iyamu knows that all that insult is just mere storm in a tea cup in a country like ours; akin to “an injury on the leg of a fowl that cannot terminate its life”. That’s why he is carrying on as if nothing has happened. Today as the guber candidate for the APC, this is his chance—and a golden one at that. For a man who has been adept at planting big seeds in the farm, this is the time to harvest big. Osazee’s prayers has been for God not to allow him to choose bone in the midst of plenty meat at any meeting; that is why all the time he has aimed for the coveted prize to govern Edo State.
So regardless of who is there, Osazee would not budge: To Osadebay house he must come. Now he has an incredible ally in the kamikaze warrior codenamed “the Iyamho lion” to paddle his boat for him. Make no mistake; they are going to navigate through the mine fields of the PDP in the forest of Edo. You do not expect to go through the lair of the Tiger and walk free. But for the Benin based pastor, this is a veritable opportunity for him to reverse the huge damage inflicted on his reputation by the same adamant Oshiomole; to put it succinctly, he has to clear his name; the APC in Edo is currently factionalized; he has to cement the relationship and it wouldn’t be by playing ostrich.
Again, he has to prove that he can actually win an election. He has never won any—only appointment. The last time he contested, he lost. So this may well be an opportunity to show that he is really popular like they say. Moreover, in their previous days in government, the State witnessed a spike in prostitution, unemployment was rife, so was the stigma of government house becoming “family” business; all those lavish parties for birthdays cannot be easily forgotten; as Chief of Staff and Secretary to Government during that inglorious reign, it would be hard for him to be exonerated. Now he has the opportunity to shape up and come clean.
For Gani Audu, he has always been the man Friday for godfathers riding on their backs through being Chairman of a Local Government, Executive Personal Assistant to Adams Oshiomole, House of Assembly member and now nominated for Deputy Governor! It seems these political positions are just there for a penny as the only qualification you need is simply become a boy to a known godfather.
All said, Osazee Iyamu must convince the Edo people that a vote for him is not a vote for Oshiomole. After all he has done to push out his own “brother and son” Obaseki from APC, It wouldn’t make sense to have him back so soon. Presently, the consensus is that he is coming to represent a few powerful individuals—not the people of Edo State.
