Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has alleged that last week’s violent attack on the residential quarters of the State House of Assembly was masterminded by a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Pastor Ize-Iyamu, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart.

Oshiomhole made the claim at a rally to welcome hundreds of PDP party members who decamped to APC in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.

The governor told the crowd: “You need to know that that violence (on the legislative quarters) was organised at the office of Mr Ize-Iyamu, former secretary to the defunct PDP government in this state. It was at his campaign office where they held the meeting when they decided to go on mass killing of people.”

Comrade Oshiomhole accused the police of complicity in the incident. “They got the police support and they went to the legislative quarters with firearms and they wanted to kill our Assemblymen,” he said.

Explaining the reason for what he calls Ize-Iyamu’s anger, Oshiomhole alleged that it was because he (Ize -Iyamu) failed on a mission to help the PDP take over the Edo State House if Assembly.

“Ize-Iyamu,”the governor said, “went to collect money with a promise that he would take over the House of Assembly and he failed. He got some (Assemblymen) and he got stuck. Contrary to their calculations we (APC) have shown that we are doggedly in charge. So out of his own frustration he decided to resort to killing.”

Continuing, the governor said: “When a man of God seeks the blood of young people, we leave him in the hands of God. But I want to warn Pastor Ize-Iyamu to be careful. If he brings violence to Edo State, violence will consume him.”

Oshiomhole disclosed that during the recent visit of President Goodluck Johnathan to Edo State, Ize-Iyamu had tried to use some ‘miscreants’ to cause trouble at the airport by squaring up for a fight with APC faithful.

The governor said: “I went to him (at the airport), I greeted him and said ‘now you are wearing white, but I know that beneath this white is a blood-sucking heart’.”

Oshiomhole also stated that the police had been informed (with evidence) that the meeting where the plan to attack the legislative quarters was allegedly hatched was the residence of Pastor Ize-Iyamu.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu quit the APC some months ago citing a lack of internal democracy in the party. Since then political tensions have ratcheted up in the state considerably.

•Photo shows ex-SSG to Edo State Government, Pastor Ize-Iyamu.

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