Open Letter To Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu

By Iyoha John Darlington

We, the undersigned, on behalf of members of Edo Patriots, Italy Chapter, wish to convey to you the message of goodwill following an exhaustive meeting designed to look into a farrago of innuendoes, aspersions and negative assertions hitherto directed at your person by some political ill-bred opponents and mischief makers.

It is on social fora, print and electronic media that you served under the erstwhile Governor of Edo state, Chief Lucky Igbinedion as the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), and on the strength of that you breached their "constitution," to vie for any elective office in the state.

Your ardent followers, teeming fans, apologists, friends and well-meaning people of the state see it as an attempt to further build your profile as a man that has worked for the good of the state and having the essential requirements and additional desiderata to lead and not the ill-conceived plot by your adversaries to make you an accessory after the fact of a felony allegedly committed by your erstwhile boss.

In a similar vein, it is on the grapevine that you left APC for PDP because you were not given an expressed consent or "anointed" as a candidate of the incumbent to becoming the governor of Edo state, on this, it is noteworthy to say that in your capacity as a trained lawyer, you know the electoral process as enshrined in the constitution and on the strength of this, you cannot abase yourself with trivialities rather would want to go all out with any opponent because you are better equipped with the peoples' support to defeat any opponent in the political battlefield. Also, It will even amount to a mere dissipation of energy by going the other way, when the legal procedure is opened and favorable to you.

Similarly, it was rumored that your initial defection from PDP was necessitated by the fact that you were not in tune with the party stalwarts at the period under review, but emerging facts have proven that wrong. Your unflinching respect for the rule of law and truism in the dispensation of governance have remained your watchword and this has continued unchallenged even to those that see you as their Achilles heels.

In this , we commend your effort for standing on the side of truth and this calls to mind, one of your learned colleague's famous quote that it is better to "stand for the truth even if standing alone." You rode out the storm and today, you remain a darling and a friend of the party and its members for your doggedness and uprightness.

As if that is not enough, mischief makers went to work again to further pursue and perfect their nefarious agenda - to deny you the possibility of contesting in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections (because they see you as their nightmare) by implicating you in the ongoing financial crime investigation by EFCC.

Immediately, it was confirmed that you were invited by the Anti-graft Agency, they went on air and blew the matter out of proportion in an attempt to cast an ugly shadow over you, but you were calm and correct, and with the presence of mind you were able to dispel their negative assertions with a trivial hand. Once more, good triumphed over evil!

It is in good faith that we see you pursuing your ambition and the purpose is to bring about a better Edo State, to this end, we implore you to continue your journey, though circuitous, with diligence and faith in God that has brought you this far.

We want to say thank you for accepting this onerous task and remain undaunted with distractions from the-never-do-well. As you find your way through this lofty journey, we pray that God directs your steps.

Best Wishes.
Iredia Osakue
Coordinator (EPIC)
Iyoha John Darlington
Media & Publicity