As Idia Ize-Iyamu Keeps Revving Up Her Husband’s Campaign Train -By Isaac Asabor

It is not an exaggeration to say that never in the political history of Edo State; right from when it was known as Midwestern State, and later Bendel State, has the wife of any aspiring gubernatorial candidate campaigned so intensively on behalf of her husband ahead of an election just the way Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu is presently campaigning for her husband, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the September 19 election.

Given her efforts that have seen her campaign across different electoral wards in the State in ensuring that her husband emerge victorious at the upcoming election in the State, come September 19, not few political enthusiasts are of the view that her struggle is unmistakably a reflection of her enviable disposition as she is a mother, a Dental Surgeon, an Orthodontist, a Professor, a Pastor, a farmer and a business entrepreneur. Can you beat that?

In as much as those that can in this context be referred to as social media thugs and partial and biased political observers alike have been trying to characterize and castigate her for her style of voter mobilization on behalf of her husband, the fact remains that she has positively changed the landscape and face of electioneering in the state, and to a large extent nationally. She has set a standard for incoming first ladies. Without any iota of exaggeration, her effort is worth emulating as she has been able to identify her audiences, who are invariably the female demographic spectrum of the voting population in the State. To those that appreciate her efforts in her husband’s campaign train, such as this writer, she has added finesse and mass appeal to electioneering campaign in the State. In all the places she has visited to interact with the women she has not derogatorily talked down on her audiences. To put it aptly, she is positively and unprecedentedly changing the landscape of electioneering campaigning in the state.

From the way she has appealingly been campaigning for her husband, particularly to Edo women, it would not be preposterous to cite the saying that; “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, some love greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them”. Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu seems to belong to both categories of the idiomatic expression culled from the book, “Longs Fellow”. There is no denying the fact that right from the day she embarked on her husband’s campaign train that one name that has easily has made itself well pronounced is Idia Ize-Iyamu. From the campaigns she has being involved in so far, she has shown that she is a political strategist and a reformer of political structures as she has all along been pointedly identifying her target audiences.

In the course of her electioneering campaign on behalf of her husband, she has met with professional women group, and assured them of her support and access to empowerment opportunities. She has also in company of the State APC Women Groups visited Oregbeni market, Ramat Park, Ikpoba hill to interact with market women, workers and other stakeholders about the ‘Simple Agenda of her husband, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the opportunities his Government will give them if elected as Governor of Edo State.

In the same vein, she has visited Oka Market in Upper Sakponba Road, Ikpoba-Okha to sensitize the market women to vote for her husband as she assured them that he will protect their interests. She explained how the Simple Agenda will empower them to do their business and give them a better life.

At Oka Market, she listened to the concerns of the women, and told them to vote for APC to improve their businesses and for their children to get access to education as well as better education. She assured them that her husband’s incoming-led government will address their concerns and he will be there for them.

Unarguably revving up her husband’s campaign train, she has also visited the popular Oba Market to share her message of Hope and the Simple Agenda. She said in her campaign, “I was sad to hear our women lament the unbearable hardship they’ve experienced under Obaseki administration. They said they are sent to Oko prison if they can’t pay fines for violating street trading.

“The women also complained bitterly that since their shops got burnt, they are yet to receive the N200 million audio money promised by Gov Obaseki. They could not hide their joy that their worst is over as Pastor Ize-Iyamu and the APC are better alternative to failed Obaseki Govt.

“I shared the good news contained in the Simple Agenda and urged them to keep faith that help is coming because Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s administration will wipe away their tears. The women were elated and happy, and pledged their support to vote for APC and POI Simple Agenda”.

By virtue of being the wife of a Pastor, and herself a Pastor, she is in no way leaving the ecclesiastical constituency behind as she on August 30, 2020, on a Sunday, played host to wives of pastors in the State. During her campaign, she urged the women to support her husband’s gubernatorial bid with prayers, and also to vote for him as he is ready to provide the leadership that Edo state need.

In the same vein, she represented her husband at the 27th Annual Diocesan Women Conference at St. Peter’s Church, the Anglican Diocese of Sabogidda-Ora, in Uhonmora-Ora, Owan West Local Government Area with the theme “Be Anxious For Nothing.”
She said, “I delivered Pastor Osagie Ize-iyamu’s address and informed the conference of the special plans by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu for women of the state as enunciated in the Simple Agenda. I also intimated them of a financial empowerment plan that would ensure they have easy access to soft loan for their business as well as the plan for a special intervention educational program that would produce employable youths.

“I launched a book by the wife of the Bishop of the Diocese, Mrs. Rosemary A. E. Ohilebo after which members of my team took turns to also launch the book “Be Anxious For Nothing”

“The atmosphere was charged with God’s presence and glory, songs of praise, worship and hymns”.

To demonstrate the fact that she is not in any way discriminatorily disposed to anyone in the State, she has equally met with the Virtuous Muslim Women in Politics and had very interesting dialogue with them. In her parley with Journalists, she said, “I explained Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s Simple Agenda to them and the need for them to support us and the APC to actualize the robust plans in the Simple Agenda.

“I also explained that Pastor Ize-Iyamu understand the needs and problems affecting Edo people because he lives among them. From Security, Social Welfare, to infrastructural development, Pastor Ize-Iyamu has painstakingly articulated all the issues and their solutions in the Simple Agenda, making provisions for everyone in Edo State.

Ostensibly to bring her philanthropic disposition to bear in her electioneering campaign on behalf of her husband, she on September 1 and 2, 2020 took her free medical outreach programme to six strategic places in Edo state. The September 1st Outreach took place at Auchi, Ekpoma and Abudu. Whilst the 2nd September Outreach took place at Igara, Uromi and Eyaen respectively

At the outreach, beneficiaries were offered free medical, eye and dental screening and treatment.