By GRACE EKANG

Ahead of the September 19 governorship election in Edo State, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has described the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, as a bad product.

In a statement issued on Friday by the Commissioner for Information and Communications in Rivers State, Paulinus Nsirim, Governor Wike said ex-APC Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, had explicitly exposed the true identity of Ize-Iyamu.

The governor said it is an insult to Edo people for Oshiomhole to reverse his earlier position and ask the electorates to accept such a man.

Wike was said to have made the comments during an interview with a national television network in the state.

“After an analysis, backed with supporting video footages from the campaigns of the last election in the state, he declared with unequivocal clarity, that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the Edo State Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is a bad product and you cannot sell a bad product to good and discerning people of Edo State,” the statement partly read.

According to Governor Wike, he drew his conclusion from the analysis of facts deducted from the previous governorship election in the state.

“Adams Oshiomhole told Edo people that Ize-Iyamu was rusticated from school; that he poured acid on a fellow student that destroyed his manhood. That he is an armed robber that cannot be trusted with money. Such a character cannot be accepted by Edo people as Governor during the election.

“I respect the Binin tradition and I know that Edo people are educated to know that Oshiomhole cannot play on their intelligence. If he is now retracting what he said of Ize Iyamu, who is sure that he’s saying the correct thing now.

“Adams Oshiomhole’s sudden U-turn is a great insult on Edo people. This is an opportunity for Edo people both at home and in the diaspora to use their votes to tell Oshiomhole that they cannot take his lies anymore.

“From all indications, it is obvious that there is no strong opposition against Obaseki and he will win convincingly,” Wike was quoted to have said. (Channels TV)