LIVE: Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu Debate As Edo Election Draws Near

It’s less than a week to the Edo State Governorship election and candidates have been pitching their manifestos to voters.

On Friday, five of the candidates participated in a debate organised by Channels Television, making a variety of promises if elected.

Today, incumbent Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Godwin Obaseki, will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with main challenger, candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, in another debate organised by Channels Television.

Both candidates, Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu, contested in the 2016 version of the election with the former coming out tops.

The stage is set for the debate, which is being held in Benin-city, the Edo state capital.

In what is widely considered as a rematch, the circumstances couldn’t have been more different from 2016. Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu have switched political allegiances, with the former moving from the APC to the PDP after Ize-Iyamu switched sides. Also, former Edo Governor and APC Chieftain, Adams Oshiomhole, who backed Obaseki in 2016, has been campaigning for Ize-Iyamu.

Both candidates have toured the state in a campaign season sometimes marred by violence and hateful rhetoric.

The debate is scheduled to start at 7:00 pm (WAT) and will be streamed online.

LIVE UPDATES

19:00 pm: Both Candidates, Godwin Obaseki and Osagie Ize-Iyamu arrive for the debate.

19:05 pm: Everyone rises for the national anthem.

19:07 pm: Both candidates talk about why they want to be elected governor.

Godwin Obaseki delivers his opening statement at the debate. #EdoGovernorshipDebate #Elections pic.twitter.com/mjWX6ieRW2

— Channels Television (@channelstv) September 13, 2020

Ize-Iyamu delivers his opening statement at the debate.#EdoGovernorshipDebate #Elections pic.twitter.com/wK3tEBrsyw

— Channels Television (@channelstv) September 13, 2020

Cross section of the audience at the Edo State Governorship Debate on September 13, 2020.

19:30 pm: On Taxation,

Ize-Iyamu: We need to Abolish multiple taxation.

So many people are not in the tax net. We are going to support businesses to grow.

Obaseki: Pay as you earn accounts for the largest amount of taxes. What we have done is to try and expand that net.

We have also used technology to ensure that for the low income tax payers, we make it easy for them to pay their taxes.

Ize-Iyamu says the government must abolish multiple taxations.#EdoGovernorshipDebate #Elections pic.twitter.com/Lbxj7oB7cu

— Channels Television (@channelstv) September 13, 2020

19:35 On Economic Agenda:

Obaseki: My predecessor in office borrowed recklessly and the Federal Government had to restructure all the debts had been tken before I came into office. The Federal Government restructured outstanding obligations to Edo State to the tune of almost N30 billion and that is what was responsible for adding to the debt stock not the borrowings from this administration.

It is scandalous to attribute the huge debt to a predesessor that you were the Chief Economic Adviser to.

Obaseki says the Oshiomhole administration borrowed recklessly.#EdoGovernorshipDebate #Elections pic.twitter.com/dNHNVJDyQb

— Channels Television (@channelstv) September 13, 2020

Ize-Iyamu: Sometimes you seem to forget the role you played in the past government.

in the agricultural sector, the loan that the governor has collected is staggering the failed SUBEB Project, two million went down the drain. The Agenegbode Rice Project, five billion went down the drain.

The oil-palm project, he collected N69 billion from the central bank and the money has been shared to croonies.

Ize-Iyamu accuses the Obaseki administration of financial misappropriation. #EdoGovernorshipDebate #Elections pic.twitter.com/ApKeMLk0Ce

— Channels Television (@channelstv) September 13, 2020

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