A group, the Benin Progressive Front, has said the Edo State Governor-elect, Godwin Obaseki, has no score to settle with the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who came second in the September 28 governorship election in the state.
The group said this in a statement on Thursday in reaction to media reports quoting a Benin-born billionaire, Hosa Okunbor, as urging Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu to settle their rift in the interest of the Bini.
According to the group, Okunbor was quoted as saying that though both Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu were his friends and belonged to him, he did not want to speak much about the election as he was no longer in partisan politics.
“I am now an elder statesman. So, I just want the best for the state and peace for the state,” Okunbor was quoted to have said.
In a statement signed on its behalf by Mr. Osato Imadiyi, the Benin Progressive Front, however, advised Okunbor to steer clear of politics, stressing that Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu had nothing in common.
The statement said, “Mr. Hosa Okunbor should channel his energies at prevailing on Ize-Iyamu to withdraw (his case) from election petition tribunal because Obaseki has no personal rift to settle with him, except electoral matters.
“He should advise the PDP candidate to gallantly accept defeat as that is the honourable thing to do.
“There is nothing to reconcile! To close ranks, according to Hosa Okunbor is to unite towards fighting a common course but Ize-Iyamu and Obaseki do not share any common course to pursue either as individuals or as representatives of their political parties.
“Even the Bini interest in question can hardly be said to be a common denominator to them as the Lucky Igbinedion regime, which Ize-Iyamu was an integral part of, did not only fail to execute any meaningful projects in any part of Bini land, but also continuously disrespected, derided and denied the Oba of his statutory allocations.”
PUNCH
