“They That Be With Ize-Iyamu Are More Than They That Be With Them” -By Isaac Asabor

There is no denying the fact that not a few people are at the moment convinced that the supporters that are rallying round Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) flag bearer, ahead of the upcoming September 19 election are more than those that are supporting the party’s major opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The foregoing view seems paradoxical, and regardless of the fact that its gubernatorial flag bearer, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, is the incumbent governor of Edo State.

“Why are many people convinced that the supporters that are rallying round Ize-Iyamu are more than the ones rallying round Mr. Godwin Obaseki?” You may have being tempted to ask. The reason cannot be farfetched given the fact that since his Campaign Train zoomed off from the Sports Complex of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) on Saturday, August 8, 2020 Ize-Iyamu has unarguably been pulling massive crowd as evidenced with the Whistle Stop of his Campaign Train in Igueben, Uromi, Irrua and other places where the Campaign Train made Whistle Stops.

Permit me to say that why the issue became newsy to this writer is that a friend of mine met me at Ojota Bus Stop in Lagos. In the course of our interaction, amidst backslapping, he responded to an aspect of the discussion that bordered on the ongoing electioneering campaign in Edo State by saying that, “They that be with Ize-Iyamu are more than they that be with them”. The foregoing statement no doubt formed the basis of the headline of this piece.

Not long after we parted to our different destinations, his statement came as a reminiscent of the scripture in 2 Kings chapter 6 verse 16 that says “And he answered, Fear not for they that be with us are more than they that be with them”.

For the sake of clarity, the foregoing scripture came about when one of Elisha’s servants, ahead of a war between Syria and Israel saw that a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And Elisha‘s servant said unto him, “Alas, my master! How shall we do?”

Against the foregoing backdrop, there is no denying the fact that Ize-Iyamu’s Campaign team led by the governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje may have being confronted with the fear of phantom crowd that are always on the social media kicking against Ize-Iyamu’s candidacy.

While relating the foregoing scripture to the electioneering realities in Edo State, my friend said supporters of Ize-Iyamu’s major opponent in the election were merely rallying round him by virtue of being the incumbent governor and that by that, they thought they will be financially rewarded for their support as he is in charge of the State’s treasury.

Again, he explained that while the APC campaign team is aggressively embarking on local government to local government campaigns, its opponents, the PDP, is carrying out ward to ward campaigns. “Brother Asabor, who do you think will achieve better result?” He asked the foregoing question having seen the massive crowd which Ize-Iyamu campaign train gathered at each whistle stop and the scanty and phantom crowd of supporters the PDP attracted from ward to ward?

He buttressed his view by saying that majority of PDP’s supporters ahead of the election are merely Facebook enthusiasts who can barely write a 50-word political analysis. He said, “All they do is to counter well-articulated write-ups posted by writers from opposition camps.

Another electioneering handicap which the Edo PDP and its supporters are faced with is that of not seeing the reality of defeat looming, come September 19, 2020.

Without any iota of exaggeration, the fact is that just the same way spiritual blindness is exemplified in the foregoing scripture; members of the opposition are somewhat politically blind. How else can one describe anyone that sees defeat fast coming and kept boasting that he is on ground?

As explained in the foregoing scriptures that say, “And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”

Metaphorically put, is it not high time those that are in opposition to Iyamu’s candidacy began to see the “hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Iyamu through the eyes of his SIMPLE agenda – a document he explained, encapsulated the area of focus of his administration if he wins the September 19 election.

According to him, the acronym ‘SIMPLE’ stands for Security, Infrastructure Development, Manpower Development, Public/Private Partnership, and Leadership by example and Employment creation.

The governorship candidate also said the agenda, which had being put into a book form, was also a ‘SMART’ document, saying, “By this, I mean it is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, and Realistic and of course, Time-bound.”

As an enthusiast of metaphor as a genre of communication, permit me to say that there are numerous horses and chariots of fire all around Ize-Iyamu that his traducers’ appear not to be seeing, and should be afraid of.

First and foremost, his recent electioneering campaigns across the 18 local government areas in Edo State have proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is truly a crowd puller.

Ostensibly buttressing the foregoing is the former member, House of Representatives and Vice Chairman, National Campaign Council, All Progressives Congress, APC, for the September 19 Governorship Elections in Edo State, Hon Patrick Obahiagbon, aka Igodomigodo, in a media parley recently where he saw the hills that are full of horses and chariots of fire just in the same way Elisha’s servant spiritually saw it. He noted: “I am not one to deceive myself that the election is going to be a tea party for the APC, not necessarily because of the governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, but primarily due to the fact that you cannot dismiss the rival Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo state.”

His words: “The good news is that Edo state is predominantly a progressive state and the electorate has always voted for progressive politics which APC represents. Also of more fundamental importance is the fact that the combination of Pastor Osagie Ize lyamu and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is an unconquerable political armada to contend with come September 19.” “The political question in Edo state for a period of time has been, “Are you with Oshiomhole or Ize lyamu?” And now that they are together, Edo is guaranteed to be returned back to the trajectory of progressive politics with APC back in Osadebe Avenue, Benin City after the governorship elections,”

To the view of this writer, it will take a landslide victory to make Ize-Iyamu’s traducers to understand that “They That Be With Ize-Iyamu Are More Than They That Be With Them.”