Ize-Iyamu suspends rally after road accident claims lives

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the upcoming Edo governorship election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has suspended his campaign rally in Usen, located in Ovia South-West local government area of the state.

A brief statement by the chairman of the APC campaign team, John Mayaki, said the rally was suspended following a road crash along the Benin-Lagos highway that claimed the lives of two police officers on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

A trailer at Oluku junction, in Ovia North-East, reportedly ran into the convoy of former Edo governor, Adams Oshiomhole, while he was travelling with other leaders to the campaign event in Usen.

The trailer hit a Toyota Hilux vehicle carrying seven police officers, and two of them are said to be in critical condition receiving treatment at a hospital in the state.

Ize-Iyamu alleged in a statement on his Twitter account that the incident is considered to be an assassination attempt.

"The circumstances of the crash were indeed curious and have left us deeply concerned, as the truck responsible for the crash, according to witness accounts of those in the convoy and other road users, appeared to have deliberately rammed into the convoy," he said.

Ize-Iyamu's opponent in the September 19 election, Governor Godwin Obaseki condoled with Oshiomhole, and the APC over the accident.

"I received the news of the accident with shock and commiserate with the former governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the candidate of the APC in the forthcoming governorship election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu over the very unfortunate incident involving their security aides and top chieftains of the party in the campaign team," he said.

Obaseki recently dumped the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after months of a bitter feud with Oshiomhole.

Both camps have accused the other of fuelling violence ahead of the election.