The Jonathan Campaign Rice Thief

President Jonathan conceded office and President Buhari was sworn in on May 29, 2015. There was the question of loyalty among PDP members. Everyone blamed someone else for failing to return Dr. Goodluck Jonathan back to office. Many of the issues bordered around provision of finances and other resources to ensure a win in all states including Edo State. However, it is puzzling to many members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo that they seemed to be the only state left out in the distribution by the Jonathan Campaign team.

It was shortly before the presidential primaries a group of individuals left the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the PDP in Edo State. One of such large groups was led by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu after a major disagreement between himself and Governor Oshiomhole in 2014. It was after the PDP’s primaries that he got himself the choicer job as State coordinator in Edo State to the Jonathan Campaign Team. Heavily mobilized in December 2014 in the millions to begin his work in the State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu returned to claim that no money was given to him, that in fact he was using his personal funds to assist the President. The situation was so sad that no bill boards were erected on behalf of the president in Edo State by the state team and hardly any effort to promote the comeback of the president.

The rumour about the President’s neglect of Edo State spread like wild fire, it increased when the money sent by the president’s campaign headquarters for the House of Assembly candidates representing the PDP was also diverted and majority of them lost in the elections.

There was unprecedented theft of campaign funds and materials. This came to public glare in December 2015, when the then state coordinator and aspirant for the Governor’s seat, pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu decided to distribute rice to his followers. To their surprise it was the rice packs meant to be distributed for the presidential elections in April 2015.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has not only proven to be dishonest, but a liar and a thief. The individual, who assisted with the large theft of Edo resources during the Lucky Igbinedion administration, milked the ACN/APC dry before decamping to the PDP where he now wants the governor’s seat in 2016 to carry out wanton looting of state resources and assets and further impoverish the people.

The PDP through its publicity secretary, Mr. Chris Nehikhare gave a statement on December 30, 2015 to refute the allegations to cover up this theft. This is a knee jerk reaction on Mr. Nehikhare’s part because he was not privy to the conversation the pastor had with a PDP leader in his defense saying, “if he shares the rice in April or December is it not the same thing.” The hush-hush is meant to still bring out Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as its candidate, the party desperate for a win believe that only he can give a good contest and possibly win on behalf of the party. However, the error in this decision would either bring the party to its knees or leave the state in shambles.

What everyone should know and understand, it was not the APC that discovered this theft, but the members of the PDP who raised the alarm of the theft. They were surprised that anyone could be so callous as to divert funds and materials meant for another’s election as his own and betray President Jonathan. If this is the best that the PDP can do, then opportunity should not ever be given to them to take back the reins of power.

In any civilized society the pastor has no alternative now, but to apologise to President Jonathan, the people of Edo State, and the National headquarters of the PDP, quit the race and the party on its own submit him to law enforcement for the offense of theft.