Edo 2020: Why I rejected to debate with Philip Shaibu – Ize-Iyamu

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the Edo governorship election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu has rejected to debate with the deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu at a debate organised by BBC News Pidgin on Friday.

Ize-Iyamu made this known when Governor Godwin Obaseki and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, excused himself from the debate just at the beginning.

Ther governor had featured briefly in the virtual debate but stepped out to attend another meeting. He asked the moderator and his co-panelists to allow his deputy to continue the debate in his stead.

This development infuriated Ize-Iyamu, who objected to the idea, insisting that he would not debate with Shaibu. He said that the debate is for governorship candidates, not one the governor can delegate or ask his deputy to take over form him.

Ize-iyamu added that if the governor wants to debate, he has to stay but he won’t sit down with the deputy governor and debate. The APC candidate noted that if Shuaibu wants to represent his principal, he will collect his deputy to come and debate with Obaseki’s deputy.