I am not desperate for political power ― Pastor Ize-Iyamu
by Rasheed Sobowale
By Gabriel Enogholase – Benin
Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) candidate in the 2016 governorship election in Edo state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu who recently resigned his membership of the party with his supporters has said that he was was not desperate for political power as being insinuated in certain quarters saying that his passion to ensure good governance for the people should not be mistaken for desperation.
He said that he never thought that his leaving the PDP for the APC would generate a lot of controversies as it was now n the State just as he added that he has been preventing a mass defection of members of his former party to the ruling party in the state.
Ize-Iyamu disclosed this yesterday in Benin during a media parley with journalists.
He said, “I am not desperate for political power, don’t mistake my passion for good governance for desperation, I am not a slave to an ambition and I have my reasons for being in politics and there are those whose politics as avenue to make money but for me the best place to make money is in business.
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“I desire good governance for the people and I want a government that can deliver good governance and I really want a party that deliver good governance and I want to be part of the party that really access good government for he benefit of the people.
” It is been long that large proportion members of the PDP wanting to leave the party but I had been the one keeping them in the party. You see what happened during our resignation day. We were expecting about 1000 members across the state but the number tripled,”
According to him, though his defection has generated a lot of controversies in the state the media did not blow it out of proportion.
“Since I left the PDP, a lot of stones have been cast at me but I am not prepared to throw back at anyone,”
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Ize-Iyamu said his coming into the APC, was not to pitch tent with any faction but to foster develop and strengthen the party in the state.
“I am joining APC with an open mind. I am not going to look at my contributions to it before I left though people might want to refer to them. I am not concerned about that, my concern for them now is how to ensure that APC is strengthened and development gets to the people at the grassroots”, he said.
He explained that he left the APC then with anger and that time has been able to heal his wound.
He, however, noted that he was happy that the PDP has come out to say that his leaving the party will not affect the party negatively, adding that he left the PDP with an open mind.