Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the Edo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has appealed to Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State, to return to the party.
Ize-Iyamu made the appeal in his acceptance speech after he was declared winner of the Edo APC governorship primary on Monday.
Governor Obaseki defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday after he was disqualified from seeking the APC ticket for the 19 September governorship election.
The APC candidate advised the governor to return to the party he “originally belong” to and not make the same mistake he did when he (Ize-Iyamu) defected to the PDP to become the party’s candidate in the 2016 governorship election.
Ize-Iyamu said he is willing to work with Obaseki if he returns to the APC.
He said: “By this process we just completed, the party is now on its step to full recovery. I also salute Governor Obaseki, and I will appeal to him to return to the party.
“In every party we have disagreement but I don’t want it that it is this disagreement that would push him out. I once made that mistake. It might be nice for him to come back, and certainly, I’m going to work with him.
“We’ve shown the example today in APC as we are determined to be law-abiding. The few months we have for campaign, let’s do it in a law-abiding manner. I’m pledging on behalf of my party that we will be peaceful and respectful.
“I’m naturally happy and humbled by the overwhelming support from the 18 local government areas. I’m so elated that there was no incident of violence as this has been my prayer point. The election went on with strict adherence to the state’s government COVID-19 regulations.”
Ize-Iyamu said if he wins the September governorship election, he will be working with everyone to move the state forward.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, Adams Oshiomhole, the suspended APC National Chairman; and the security agencies for their support in the primary election.