Ahead of the forthcoming 2024 governorship election in Edo State, there appears to be a crack within the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that the ruling party is losing its membership to other major political parties in the state.
Pundits believe that the once united umbrella is now a house divided against itself due to internal wrangling following supremacy battle between the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, and the party’s National Vice Chairman South South, Chief Dan Orbih, over who controls the party structure in the state.
This is in addition to the successor fight between Obaseki and his deputy which is leaving no oxygen in the air for anyone to breathe.
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Interestingly, pundits say the PDP was one big and formidable family before Governor Obaseki decamped from the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2020 governorship election in the state.
Prior to the election, Obaseki who was the sitting governor under the APC engaged in supremacy battle with the then national chairman of the party, now Senator, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, arising from who would produce the Speaker of the 8th House of Assembly.
The fight culminated in the removal of Comrade Oshiomhole as the national chairman while Governor Obaseki was disqualified from contesting the 2020 governorship election by the screening committee of the party.
According to pundits, the PDP that had not been in government for 12 years, saw Obaseki’s defection as an avenue and opportunity to once again take a shot at the Osadebe Avenue not minding the consequences of not ironing out some grey areas.
Happily, the PDP gave Obaseki the party ticket and he insisted that he must contest with his deputy and also retain his SSG. Desirous of winning the election, all Obaseki’s requests were accepted by the party both at the national and state levels.
However, that was said to be the beginning of the crisis that is threatening to destroy the party despite being at the helm of affairs in the state in the last three years.
Soon after the party’s victory in 2020, it slid into a crisis of supremacy battle over who controls the structures that were already in place before the defection of Governor Obaseki and the conduct of the governorship election.
Daily Trust on Sunday learnt that while Obaseki said he is the governor and as leader of the party, he should take over the control of the party, his supporters claimed they have not been properly integrated into the main fold of the party.
But the other group that received Obaseki alleged that they had been alienated from governance as none of the old PDP members were in the newly formed cabinet.
The development according to political observers gave birth to old PDP (also known as the legacy group) and new PDP (Obaseki’s group).
The crisis snowballed into the division of the state executive with Governor Obaseki having some members, including the party chairman Dr Tony Azeigbemi, to his side while others including the secretary pitched tent with Chief Orbih.
Nomination of commissioners and SAs
The crisis assumed a new turn when Obaseki nominated his commissioners, Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants without the inputs of the state executive and party leaders, and in the end only two slots out of 18 commissioners were given to the old PDP.
The crisis festered into the party primaries during the 2023 national and state Assembly election leading to each of the factions conducting its national and state Assembly primaries.
In the end, the National Working Committee of the party, led by Iyorcha Ayu recognised the candidates of the Obaseki’s faction, leading to the party not winning Senate and House of Representatives election.
Speaking with Daily Trust on Sunday, the Secretary of the party Hilary Otsu, said the Legacy group which stood behind Obaseki has never been carried along in any decision-making process by the governor.
“When Obaseki wanted the leadership to endorse him as our candidate in 2020, he travelled to Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Asaba several times to seek support. He visited the National Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, at home in Benin to seek his support.
“Since he won his re-election, how many times did he even invite the same Dan Orbih or the state leadership/Working Committee or did they have an input in any decision making? As you can see, now he wants to pick his successor by his own fiat,” Otsu said.
“The governor and his deputy came into PDP in 2020 and immediately, PDP went into an epileptic fit. They refused to allow the structures they met to breathe. All they have succeeded in doing, in three years, is to show ingratitude for the benevolence of the Legacy PDP members, all because of the demand for fair play, equity and justice.”
He said when Obaseki and his group came begging for help, many of us believed they would drop the toga of greed and divisiveness they wore in APC, and at least consolidate the whole house, to work together.
“The foundation for this crisis was laid when, against rational reasoning, the Governor was allowed to run on the PDP platform along with his deputy. If a real harmonization was done at the time and a deputy picked from the legacy group, we wouldn’t have this implosion today.
“This is the first time in 24 years that the PDP failed to win presidential election, Senate or House of Representatives election in Edo.”
Party dogged with members’ resignation
As the crisis continues, some big wigs in the party tendered their resignations, citing the unabating crisis rocking the party.
Among the bigwigs that resigned from the party are Kenneth Imasuagbon; Obaseki’s immediate past commissioner of Communication and Orientation, Bar. Andrew Ewanta; Gideon Ikhile; two term senator representing Edo South Senatorial district, Mathew Urhughide; and former Minister of Worker, Mike Onolememhe, among others.
Sen Urhugide attributed his resignation to the negative political energy emanating from the “irreconcilable differences and squabbles within the PDP at the national level and in Edo State.”
On his part, Onolememhe said he decided to resign after carefully analysing the protracted conflict in the party and consulting with relevant stakeholders from his immediate constituency, friends, political allies and family.
Sen. Uhroghide and Onolememhe, alongside their supporters decamped to the APC while Imasuagbon and Ewanta joined the Labour party with their supporters.
Speaking on members’ resignation, the state party chairman, Dr Tony Azeigbemi, said they can’t put a gun on someone’s head to say you must remain in our party.
“It is a free entry and free exit kind of things. So, for those that left, we would not dwell on that because we also know their electoral value.”
Obaseki’s successor fight
Governor Obaseki, according to findings, wants to anoint a successor after his tenure on November 12, 2024 and he has zeroed in on Asuen Ighodalo, a Lagos businessman who chairs Obaseki’s yearly Alaghodaro in the state.
Surprisingly, the governor and his deputy Comrade Shaibu who always referred to themselves as senior and junior brothers engaged in successor battle over Shaibu’s ambition to contest the 2024 governorship election and succeed Obaseki.
Shaibu, in order to save himself from alleged impeachment following his ambition, dragged Governor Obaseki, State House of Assembly, Chief Judge of the State, Inspector General of Police and the State Security Service to an Abuja Federal High Court seeking an injunction to restrain them from impeachment.
The development, analysts say, further worsened the already divided party.
Though Shaibu has withdrawn the case against his principal, tendered apology and begged for forgiveness, pundits say the seed of discord had already been sowed and it may affect the party going forward.
Meanwhile, the legacy PDP had vowed never to support Obaseki’s candidate during the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
Speaking with journalists on the 2024 governorship election, the party Secretary, Mr Hilary Otsu, a member of the Legacy Group, said the purported endorsement by Obaseki of a Lagos-based lawyer as his choice for the PDP governorship candidate in next year’s election will not fly as Edo people would never accept another Lagos based “stranger” to pilot the affairs of the state after (he) Obaseki, who was similarly plucked from Lagos by immediate past governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
While predicting that the PDP will emerge stronger, he said that for the 2024 election, the Legacy Group will nominate the governorship and deputy governorship candidate of the PDP.
“Most of Governor Obaseki’s closest political allies have echoed that Edo State will never accept another stranger to govern its people. If the person you mentioned now is the same person I have heard from some sources, then it’s dead on arrival.
“Governor Obaseki does not have the kind of goodwill needed to promote an unknown stranger in Edo State. When Oshiomhole did it with him, Oshiomhole had optimal goodwill and acceptance. If Edo people are given a choice today, they will vote against any candidate that Governor Obaseki supports.”
On his part, Obaseki’s Commissioner for Communication, Chris Nehikhare, said: “PDP is one, there is nothing like old PDP or new PDP. Like in every other political party, there are people who believe that their bread has not been properly buttered and would resign and join other parties or leave politics completely.
“We lost a couple of senior members of our party who have enjoyed the benefit of the party; in some cases, they have been ministers, as well as held other sensitive positions on behalf of the party.
“In the forthcoming governorship election, the PDP would nominate a person that would get the job done and we have them in abundance.”
He said PDP will pick the right person that would be acceptable to all, adding that whoever picks the party’s ticket will have the other members queue behind him during the election.
As it is now, it remains to be seen how the Edo PDP settles its differences ahead of the forthcoming governorship in order to make an impact in the election.
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