Another notable family in Benin, the Ogunbor family has called out the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osagie Ize-Iyamu and his campaign handlers for appropriating its name for endorsement in the September 19 governorship poll, denouncing the candidate for the act and maintaining that they are apolitical in outlook.
In a statement signed by Nosa Ogunbor and published on page 15 of Vanguard Newspaper on Friday, August 28, 2020, entitled Re: Endorsement of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as Oloke Family Governorship Candidate in the Forthcoming Governorship Election in Edo State, the family dissociated itself from the said endorsement.
According to them, “The attention of the Ogunbor family has been drawn to a news item circulating in both Print and Social Media, claiming that the Oloke family of Benin Kingdom, of which the Ogunbor family is part of, has endorsed the Governorship candidate of the APC, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, as their candidate for the forthcoming election in Edo State.
“We, members of the Ogunbor family branch of the Oloke family, wish to dissociate ourselves from the said endorsement.
“The Ogunbor family, as a unit, has never been politically inclined. However, each member of the Ogunbor family is free to exercise his/her rights to belong to any political party, as their conscience and conviction dictate.”
They continued: “We are thus, through this medium informing the general public that the Ogunbor family is not part of the said endorsement, as this branch of the Oloke family remains apolitical.”
The refutal by the Ogunbor family is coming a day after the Oje of Ora-designate, Prof. Joshua Unuigboje Aisiku, debunked media reports that he conferred the Oyahire of Ora chieftaincy title on the APC guber candidate. Similarly, the Benin Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BENCCIMA), last week, in a statement by its Director General, Imalingmhe John Yesufu, and the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr. Bibowei Braie, also refuted claims that it purportedly endorsed the candidate.
