Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Edo state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has said that former National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is not the face of his campaign, noting that it is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that is dragging the former Edo governor into the fray.

This is even as he has blamed the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shuiabu for the rising political tension in the state, saying that as one who does not have immunity, he will not make trouble because “I don’t want to go to jail.”

He also alleged that plans by the deputy governor, to use student union leaders to disrupt his campaign flag-off have been uncovered and reported to the Director of Department of State Services.

Ize-Iyamu spoke after he was endorsed by PresidentBuhari, for the September 19 governorship elections in the state. The Chairman of the APC National Caretaker/Extraordinary National Conventio

Committee and Governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni, led the delegation to the State House, Abuja.

The APC candidate while responding to a question on why Oshiomhole, is the face of his campaign despite the claim that he is a grassroots politician, said: “Let me first inform you that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is not the face of the campaign. As you rightly know, I am the gubernatorial candidate and Mallam Gani Audu is the deputy.

“It is the PDP that keeps mentioninghisname,talking about him and playing tapes as if he is the candidate. But I want to inform you that I am very well known in Edo. I have lived there all my life, I have been chief of staff, secretary to the state government and we also have a local Director-General of the campaign, Gen. Cecil Esekhaigbe (retd.) from a Edo Central, who is well respected. And of course the national has also established a local council headed by no less a person than the governor of Kano. Of course, Adams Oshiomhole comes from Edo, he is an APC member and it is natural for him to campaign for our party but certainly he is not the face.

Unlike what happened four years ago where maybe, the candidate could not speak and somebody had to speak for him. But anyone will tell you that everywhere i have gone, I have been the one speaking. So that statement is not correct.”

Also speaking, Ize-Iyamu, denied hosting the state assembly members who purportedly impeached the speaker and deputy speaker and elect a new one on Thursday.

He said: “Let me debunk the statement that 17 members of the State House of Assembly sat in my sitting room, it is not true.”