Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, has expressed sympathy with President Muhammadu Buhari, over the dilemma he faced on Friday, in endorsing candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Osagie who spoke to journalists in Benin City, said: “President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday was confronted with a dilemma of no mean proportion, to raise the hand of Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the APC in the September 19 gubernatorial election taking place in Edo State.
“The President was constrained to carry out the action, which indeed was a dilemma and it was shameful to give the corruption-scarred APC candidate the flag. We sympathise with the President, who reluctantly handed the APC candidate the party’s flag and unveiled him behind closed doors.
He further said that Buhari would ordinarily have preferred to endorse the APC candidate in public, and would have done so with glee and razzmatazz in Benin City, if Ize-Iyamu didn’t have the N700 million corruption tag and other allegations of sleaze on him.
“The event was disgraceful to say the least, but the President had to carry out the unpleasant assignment for the sake of his party.
“We understand that today’s embarrassment was the result of the recklessness of the former national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, who is determined to cause crisis in the state, after failing as leader of the party and in his bid to become a godfather in the state’s political space.”
Ize-Iyamu is currently being tried for money laundering to the tune of N700 million. The matter is before Honourable Justice J. M. Umar at the Federal High Court in Benin City, Edo State, with suit No. FHC/BE21C/ 2016.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed the case preferring eight count charges against him for alleged illegal receipt of public funds to the tune of N700 million for the purpose of the 2015 general elections, contrary to the provisions of the EFCC Act and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act. His next court date is October 15th..
