‘The Fight Is Over, I Bear No Malice With You’, Obaseki Extends Hands of Fellowship to Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu

Edo State Governor and winner of the September 19, 2020 governorship election in the state, Godwin Obaseki, has called on the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole; and the APC candidate in the Saturday election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to put their differences aside and work for the betterment of the state.

Obaseki stated this during a speech on Tuesday after the Independent National Electoral Commission issued him and his deputy, Phillip Shaibu, certificates of return.

INEC National Commissioner in charge of Edo, Rivers, and Bayelsa, Mrs May Agbmuche-Mbu, made the presentation at the INEC office in Aduwawa, Benin City, the Edo State capital.

INEC had on Sunday declared Obaseki, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as winner of the keenly contested election.

INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, said Obaseki polled 307,955 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ize-Iyamu, who got 223,619 votes.

Delivering a 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 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.”