Ize-Iyamu: I’m not under pressure by APC leaders to accept defeat

TRACKING___The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, yesterday denied claims that he is under pressure from party leaders to accept defeat. Director of Communication and Media of Campaign Organisation of the APC Governorship Election, John Mayaki, in a statement in Benin, the state capital, also condemned a video that went viral on social media, where he was quoted to have called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to come back to the APC.

He, however, urged the media to desist from speculative reports, saying: “I was shocked this morning when I saw reports that I begged Obaseki to return to APC after the election. While responding to that immediately, another one emerged.” The statement added: “I will restate that I never begged him to return after the election.

I deliberately did not reply when I saw all that rumour on the social media with people tagging me in them. “Now, I saw another report in the media, stating that APC leaders are mounting pressure on me to accept defeat. In all fairness to the National leadership of my party, they never mounted any pressure on me.

So, I wonder where their source(s) got the information from. The public reposes a lot of trust in the media for authentic information but what happens when this trust is betrayed?” Meanwhile, Ize-Iyamu had reiterated his earlier position that he had not yet made up his mind on the next step to take. “I already tweeted that I am studying the result and consulting widely on my next line of action. Speculative reporting must be condemned. When I make up my mind, I will let my supporters know. For now, patience is what I implore. Not violence, not anger will help us now. Dignity will manifest in how we bounce back from this minor setback,” the statement noted.