Ize-Iyamu

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu recorded what can be described as double victory which further affirmed his emergence as the candidate of All Progressives Congress in the September Edo gubernatorial election on Thursday.

One of the victories was in Abuja, where the outcome of last Monday’s All Progressives Congress, APC where he emerged the candidate of the party for the gubernatorial election was ratified.

The primary was organised by members of  the APC National Working Commitee, NWC led by Ize-Iyamu’s now suspended biggest supporter, Adams Oshiomhole.

The outcome of the primary which has earlier been rejected by Victor Giadom, the factional Acting Chairman of APC who said a fresh process will be initiated to choose the party’s candidate for the election.

But ratification of the outcome of the primary was one of the proposals put by President Muhammadu Buhari before the National Executive Committee, NEC  held at Aso rock presidential villa by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

Despite the fact that the APC NEC agreed to sack NWC and replace it with a Caretaker Committee/National Convention Committee headed by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State as suggested by Buhari, the victory of Ize-Iyamu was ratified.

Also,  on Thursday, Justice Emmanuel Ahamojie of Benin City High Court affirmed  Ize-iyamu as a registered member of APC.

Factional state deputy chairman of the party, Kenneth Asekomhe, Benjamin Oghumu, Mathew Ogbebor and Unweni Nosa, had challenged the decision of the APC to grant a waiver to Ize-Iyamu, to make him eligible to contest the APC primary election.

Defendants in the suit are the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, and Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

They predicated their case on the ground that any waiver granted by the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, without the approval of the National Executive Committee of the APC and without Osagie Ize-Iyamu formally applying for such waiver through his claimed ward, local government area, is null, void and of no effect.

The plaintiffs also prayed the court to restrain the APC from recognising Osagie Ize-Iyamu as an aspirant of the party in its primary election, to select its flag-bearer for the governorship election.

Delivering judgement in the case, Justice Ahamojie noted that the party’s governorship candidate doesn’t require a waiver to contest.

Ahamojie maintained that the membership of a party is an internal affair of the political party and hence, render it non-justiciable before the court.

He added that the claimants have not presented convincing evidence to state otherwise.

“I hereby declare that the Osagie Ize-Iyamu (third defendant) is qualified to contest being a registered member of the All Progressives Congress,” Ahamojie siad.

Counsel to the Plaintiffs, Santos Owootori Esq., said they will study the judgement properly and then discuss the next line of action.