Don Pedro Obaseki

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

The controversy generated by an alleged comment by the former governorship candidate of the Accord Party (AP), in the September 10 gubernatorial election in Edo State, Don Pedro Obaseki, that the party will support the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, in the election, has taken a new twist, as no fewer than 500 of its members have dumped the party.

Among the notable members who left the party are some members of the state executive, led by its Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Etionosa Edo, who told journalists that they would rather work for Godwin Obaseki of the APC, rather than Pastor Ize-Iyamu.

Edo said they were taken aback during the visit of Pastor Ize-Iyamu and PDP chieftains when Don Pedro said they should support the PDP to stop Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Obaseki.

“He did not tell us he was withdrawing from the Accord Party. He said we should support Ize-Iyamu because he cannot work with Godwin Obaseki.

“We try to cover for him when he said it was because of the case in court that his name was not published. The truth is that he has no money to pay for the form even though Isibor went to court,” he said.

It would be recalled that one of the leading members of the Obaseki family in Benin, Chief Osayuki Obaseki, who spoke to journalists in Benin on Tuesday, demanded that Don Pedro retract his statement and also tender an unreserved apology to the family or he be handed over to their ancestors, just as he declared that no true son of Obaseki will vote for Ize-Iyamu.

“I will not want to hand over Pedro to our ancestors because I don’t want him dead but I will appeal to Don Pedro to retrace his steps, come back to the family and tender an unreserved apology and retract his statement that people should vote for Ize-Iyamu instead of Obaseki.

“I do not know if I should say Pedro is one of my children because I am afraid of him now. I want to correct the unfortunate impression he created. I do not know if he is in any political party because he could not have been in APC today, tomorrow Accord party and you are ending up in PDP. That is political harlotry which is a big shame.

“I want the world to know that no true son of Obaseki, born by an Obaseki with Obaseki blood will ever vote Ize-Iyamu. The whole Obaseki length and breath we are all supporting Godwin our son.Yes we all cannot put our eggs in one basket, there are some radicals who can go to the other group but don’t insult our son Godwin. Because he is very knowledgeable, he knows what he is doing, he has been in the stock exchange for years and that is the power house of Nigeria’s economy.

“He knows who is who in this country. We are not supporting Don Pedro and his allies, I say here now no Obaseki should vote for Ize-Iyamu. Ize-Iyamu is my mother’s relation, that is my mother, my father comes first before my mother. No true son of Obaseki will vote for Ize-Iyamu, we must all vote for Obaseki.

“I use this opportunity to invite all Obaseki’s in the Diaspora that on the 9th of September, we have our family get together every year, that is the celebration of the death of Agho Obaseki. I want all Obaseki’s to be present at Ogbe and together we will match to the polling booth on the 10th to vote Godwin.” Chief Osayuki Obaseki had said.