Crusaderhotnews
On November 21, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the Peoples Democratic Party 2016 gubernatorial candidate for Edo state, announced his resignation from the party that gave him the platform to aspire for the highest office in Edo state, to "return" to the All Progressive Congress that he left in 2014.
While he enjoys the right to belong to and associate with any political party of his choice and at any given time, his recent political move has opened another chapter of his political opportunism that started in 1999.
In 1998 during the formation of political parties, Pastor Ize Iyamu pitched his tent with former minister Chief Tom Ikimi, former state Governor John Odigie Oyegun, and other politicians to form the All Peoples Party in Edo state.
During the 1998 gubernatorial election in the state, Pastor Ize-Iyamu and other APP chieftains supported the unsuccessful bid of the APP Governorship candidate against Chief Lucky Igbenedion of the Peoples Democratic Party and eventual winner.
After the defeat of the APP at the poll, Ize-Iyamu, who is the son of High Chief Robert Osayande Ize-Iyamu, a revered High Chief at the Oba of Benin palace, the Esogban of Benin Kingdom and second in command to the Oba of Benin, exploited the relationship that existed between his father and High Chief Gabriel Igbenedion, the father of Lucky Igbenedion. He wasted no time in dumping his party and through his father's relationship with the father of Chief Lucky, maneuvered his way into the PDP and was subsequently appointed Chief of Staff to the Governor of Edo state at the inauguration of the government in May 1999. He held on to the position until 2003 when he was appointed the Secretary to the Edo State Government in 2003.
One would thought that Ize-Iyamu would remain in his new party and work with other members to prepare for the 2007 General elections, but the "pastor" had other plans.
In 2007, he rebelled against the PDP in Edo state simply because Chief Anthony Anenih and other leaders of the state kicked against his ploy to succeed outgoing Governor Lucky Igbenedion owing to the need for the position to be zoned to other area of the state other than the zone of the outgoing Governor.
Instead of working with this noble plan, Ize-Iyamu factionalised the PDP that made him Chief of Staff and Secretary to State Government, and defected to the Action Congress (that would later merge with other political parties to become All Progressive Congress).
When Pastor Ize-Iyamu saw opportunity of being part of the government at the centre in 2014, he wasted no time in dumping the opposition APC and was appointed member of Governing Council of a federal institution by President Goodluck Jonathan. He was also appointed Edo state coordinator for the 2015 Goodluck Jonathan and PDP presidential reelection bid. He was further rewarded with the gubernatorial ticket of PDP in Edo state in 2016, and the PDP also reappointed him as the campaign Coordinator for Edo state in the 2019 Presidential election for candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Having enjoyed these opportunities in the PDP for the second time, Pastor Ize Iyamu would reward the party by defecting to the ruling All Progressive Congress that he dumped in 2014. He joined APC because he saw no prospect of "milk" in the PDP having lost at the Presidential election and at the tribunal. He re-joined APC when all things appears to be sweet for APC members.
Another interesting but opportunistic side of Ize-Iyamu is that he wanted to exploit the political feud between State Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is seeking reelection in 2020 election, and the APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomole to his advantage. His calculation is that Adams Oshiomole will use his influence as National Chairman of APC to deny Governor Obaseki the ticket of the party and make him the party flag bearer in the 2020 gubernatorial election in the state.
But this time it appears that his recent opportunistic move seem to have backfired. Since his defection, he is yet to be received by any senior member of the APC in the state nor at federal level. Not just that, neither of the APC factions in the state has deemed it fit to publicly recognise his return to the party after almost two weeks of registering with the party. He is now a politician in an hibernation state that is desperately seeking validation.
Interestingly, Pastor Ize Iyamu recent political move appears to be miscalculated as well. The state chapter of the APC has pledged commitment to the reelection of Governor Obaseki and all indices point that he will emerge as the APC flag bearer. Furthermore, the zonal and national leadership of the party are pushing to reconcile the National Chairman and the Governor with a view of having the Governor run for a second term in office as the party's candidate.
0 Comments