Edo election: Tension as EFCC confirms interest in PDP candidate, Ize-Iyamu.

– EFCC still has more questions for PDP’s governorship candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu in the Edo election of September 10, according to the commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren.

– The commission is investigating Ize-Iyamu in the probe of PDP’s campaign funds during the 2015 presidential election

– Ize-Iyamu had earlier said that he had already told the EFCC all that he knows and did not see the need to return to the commission, but Uwujaren’s words prove the situation is different

Osagie Ize-iyamu is still wanted by the EFCC ahead of the Edo election. Photo: Punch

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has thrown into confusion the camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after confirming that its governorship candidate in the upcoming Edo election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu is yet to be cleared of fraud charges. EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren told our Punch on Monday, September 5 that the PDP candidate is still under investigation.

“I can confirm to you that he (Ize-Iyamu) is still under investigation,” Wilson told a correspondent. The EFCC’s revelation came just hours before the PDP was set to hold a major rally in Edo state ahead of the election on September 10. Ize-Iyamu had told journalists that as the campaign director for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation in Edo state during the 2015 presidential election, he handled N700m for the party. He was therefore invited by the EFCC to explain himself during a probe of the campaign funds.

“I told them (EFCC) who got what: that we needed money for transportation; mobilisation of our people; some of them that had to leave Benin to their polling units in the rural areas, and that the state chairman of the party worked out a realistic budget.

“And that by the time we looked at what they brought and what we had in mind, it became clear that the N700m would not be enough. Our leader volunteered to make up the difference, which he brought from his house,” Punch quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, there was tension in Benin city on Monday as leaders and governors of the nation’s two main political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP prepared to storm the state capital. The governors are said to be ready to storm the Edo state capital today, Tuesday, September 6 for the final campaigns to support their respective candidates in the gubernatorial election scheduled for Saturday, September 10.