Edo Guber: PDP stakeholders reject waiver for Obaskeki

Some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reject the waiver granted Governor Godwin Obaseki by the leadership of the party over the September 19 governorship election in the state.

A chieftain of the party in the state, Osilama Okuofu told reporters on Tuesday in Abuja that stakeholders don’t have anything against Obaseki joining the PDP but against the use of illegality to impose the governor on those who worked arduously for the party.

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He said that Tuesday’s court order is a clear signal of a deluge of crisis that might hit the party unless the national leadership address this issue promptly.

“It is a welcome development that the governor joined the PDP, the problem is that the national leadership of the party without any idea of the local politics decided to upset the apple cart because of their disdain for certain stakeholders.

“People have worked for the party, they have gone through the process and they have concluded on buying of nomination forms and all that have been approved,” he said.

He added that even if Obaseki will be given a waiver, there must be consultation in order not to cause disaffection in the party as some people will feel short-changed and react in a manner that might plunge the party into endless crisis and may also cause many more people to dump the party because there is nothing in it for them anymore.

Also, another chieftain from Akoko-Edo, Segun Bakare, expressed his displeasure at the development.

He said, “How did the PDP sell forms to the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki 18 days after sales and submission of forms was concluded? On what basis and through what process was he granted a waiver to purchase the forms, be screened and allowed to participate just days before the primaries?

He said that it is extremely laughable that the erstwhile peaceful Edo State PDP is about to set itself up for needless acrimony and instability through potential contentions and litigation when there was absolutely no need to.

He said, “From accounts available, three aspirants had been on the campaign trail for over one year following the laid down guidelines set by the party, selling their candidature and basically securing their delegates, until these recent unwise actions of the party leadership.

“One can imagine our shock at the strange turn of events over the past one week since the unholy intercourse between the governor and the national leadership of the party; an alliance that is presently heavily pregnant with crisis and internal conflicts and will spell doom for the Edo State PDP should the delivery be allowed to happen.

“With the alleged on-going altering and substitution of the earlier circulated delegates list to illegally accommodate the agents of the governor, it is safe to say the same multitude of litigation that chased the governor from his former house has been introduced to the PDP. How else can a group on self-destruct be described.”

Another aggrieved stakeholder in the party, Osahon Isibor, said the manner in which Obaseki joined the PDP has some trappings of the emergence of a godfather.

Isibor said, “Since early last week when the plot to ‘force’ the present Edo State governor Godwin Obaseki on the PDP to run on their ticket gained steam, he has exhibited actions which if x-rayed against the Oshiomole-defined parameters of godfatherism, shows he seems to be settling comfortably into the same office as godfather.

“Godwin Obaseki influenced the illegality of the PDP primaries being postponed for 3 days to enable him defect to the party and have enough time to build further on the illegalities by purchasing a nomination and expression of interest form after the exercise had long closed”

On his part, Kola Adesina, said it must be a painful time for loyal and committed members of the PDP in Edo state who have suffered in opposition for so long.

“I saw images splashed across social media showing the governor of Edo State Godwin Obaseki being admitted into our party in Edo state, I wondered if the national leadership of the party knew what they were doing,” he lamented.