‘The fight is over’, Obaseki
‘The fight is over’
Obaseki extends olive branch to Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu
The dust is settling down in Edo State after the September 19, 2020 Governorship elections. Tempers are coming down. This comes as the re-elected Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has called on his defeated opponent, Osagie Ize-Iyamu of APC and the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole; to put their differences aside and work for the betterment of the state.
Obaseki made this call on Tuesday after he and his deputy, Phillip Shaibu received their certificates of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission in Benin City, the State Capital.
Present at the event were the INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Edo, Rivers, and Bayelsa States, Mrs May Agbmuche-Mbu.
Recall that INEC had in Sunday, Septmeber 20, declared Obaseki, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, as the winner of the keenly contested election.
Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, INEC’s Returning Officer, declared that Obaseki polled 307,955 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ize-Iyamu, who got 223,619 votes.
In a clear minded speech on Tuesday at INEC’s office, Obaseki said: “To our friends and our brothers on the other side of the divide, we are one family in the pursuit to provide services and public good for our citizens.
“Our citizens have decided that as for now, they trust us more to provide them leadership. It does not mean that they do not have a role to play. It does not mean that they are not part of a family.
“I’m using this opportunity to extend the hand of fellowship to my brother, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and his other colleagues in the All Progressives Congress to join us and work with us so that we can move Edo forward.
“On a specific note, I want to use this occasion to call on the former chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, that the fight is over and he should come and join in building the house where he was part of laying the foundation.
“We have no malice; the only thing we disagreed on is in the approach in moving Edo forward.”
