Francis Ogbuagu, Benin
The Peoples’ Democratic Party[PDP] in Edo State is a party riddled with crisis, though, the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has denied that the party is not in crisis, all the indices of a divided house are undeniably visible in the ruling party
The party has struggled with what the leaders tagged the harmonization of the party structure that it has become the most discussed issue after the party won the governorship election in the Edo 2020 gubernatorial election. The Governor, who was accommodated by the then opposition party after he was refused a return ticket by the All Progressives Congress[APC] in the wake of the primary election has to wait till the end of last year before the first set of eleven commissioners were appointed.
THE BEGINNING OF THE CRISIS AND THE BONE OF CONTENTION
The rays of crisis began to emerge after the inauguration of Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s second term when none of the three topmost positions in government(Governor, Deputy Governor, and Secretary to the State Government) were given to the PDP aborigins. The three, (Obaseki, Shaibu, and Ogie) ran the government for almost a year to the dismay of the aborigins who watched akimbo from a distance.
TAKE YOUR GOVERNMENT, WE TAKE OUR PARTY STRUCTURE
On the 9th of Oct,2221, the Party after an emergency meeting of the eighteen local government party chairmen decided that the party will hold on to the party structure, while the governor keeps his government.
A reliable source, who was in the meeting, called by the Chairman of Edo State Chapter of the People Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Chris Azegbiam said, the local government party chairman after attending the meeting called by the state chairman resolved to allow governor Obaseki have his government, while the party keeps the party structure.
“We have met with the state party chairman, after the meeting, we have resolved that the governor keeps his government, while the party maintains the party structure.”Look at the way the governor has treated the party after we rescued him from sinking politically. The eleven commissioners and other appointments he has made do not consider the party.
” You know he is the governor of the state and nobody can force him to do anything he does not want to do, but we will not allow him to highjack the party structure.” He said.
BATTLE FOR THE PARTY STRUCTURE
The two major camps in the People’s Democratic Party [PDP]in Edo State have been engulfed in a fight over party structure. One controlled by the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on one hand
and Chief Dan Orbih, the PDP National Vice Chairman South-south on the other hand.
ACCEPT MY LEADERSHIP OR LEAVE THE PARTY
The boiling point of the crisis in the party was on the 7th of March, when the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki during an enlarged party meeting, said Orbih and others who refused to accept his position as the leader of the party in the State should leave the party
According to him, “I am not leaving PDP for anyone, I have no plan of defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), anyone who is uncomfortable with my leadership of the party should leave.”
The governor said the party is now fully harmonized, stressing that the constitution of the party bequeaths him with the leadership of the party in the state, a position which is not up for the contest by anyone.
“I can’t leave PDP. I will not decamp from the PDP; we will always win any election. PDP won in the last election and we will continue to win all elections in the state and country; nothing will stop us as a party.”
He noted that the forthcoming local government election in the state will set the template for next year’s national and legislative elections, urging party members to reflect on the elections and work in unity to ensure victory in the polls.
“There is no division in Edo PDP. Let the party be open to accommodate others. PDP is democratic. The hallmark of democracy is ensuring that the majority has their way, as the minority can’t dictate to the people.
“I heard that Chief Dan Orbih went around, saying there is no harmonization in Edo PDP. This is irresponsible to say and an insult to members of the party, as the party has truly harmonized in the state.
“PDP in Edo State is harmonized because before we made any appointments in any ward, we made sure the party at that level was harmonized. We are gathered here now as the election timetable is out; harmonization has been done, appointments made and we are ready to win any election before us.”
“Politics is not about fighting but dialogue and discussion. I urge us to collaborate and unite to move the party and state forward,” he charged.
“Over 539,000 members have been registered in the ongoing re-registration exercise, these numbers are not fabricated as we have the data, pictures, emails, and phone numbers of members of the party we have registered so far.
“Edo is Edo, leave Edo State alone. They have tried us in battle, and have been made to know that we are battle-ready. We have been tested and trusted. We must always win elections; we must always win as a party.” He said
CONTRADICTION FROM THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR, PHILIP SHABU
As against the position of the governor that he is not leaving the party. The deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu on national television on the 8th of March,2022 advanced reasons why his supporters and that of his principal, Godwin Obaseki, want to dump the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
Shaibu explained thatthe supporters that followed Obaseki to PDP during his face-off with his erstwhile boss, Adams Oshiomhole, do not feel welcome in the party.
He said that two years after Obaseki resigned his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress to join PDP, the ruling party was yet to integrate his supporters and other APC members who joined him to the new party in 2019.
“We have not been accepted into PDP and for us, we are not telling the governor it is either now or we leave.
“We are in PDP now and expected that we will be integrated. When I say ‘we’, not just Philip Shaibu, I’m talking about Anselm Ojezua (former Edo APC chairman) and the state working committee, the ward chairmen and the executives, the leaders of APC then, and all the well-wishers that left APC because of Obaseki.
“We have been meeting and we have said we need to be integrated. Anselm Ojezua resigned his membership as chairman of the state; the ward chairmen resigned; other executives resigned to join PDP.
“As I speak, they have not been integrated and we are talking about harmonization; they have refused to harmonize. For some of us, that means we are not welcome in PDP.
“We are not saying dismantle, drive everybody and accept us. We are saying create room for Anselm Ojezua and create room for others. Just like we have done in the appointment in government, we’ve created space for the old PDP that we met. They are commissioners.
“For me, Philip Shaibu, I have no plans to leave. Philip Shaibu, his followers, and the followers of Obaseki that left APC to PDP plan to leave PDP but to where? For now, I don’t know,
“Why? Because we felt we are not accepted in PDP and that is the reason we are thinking that it is time to just draw the curtains and leave.
“We left APC because of the oppression by APC national chairman meted on the governor. And for some of us that hated oppression, we decided to jettison our relationship with the godfather then to follow the governor to the PDP.”
AN OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR OBASEKI BY SENATOR ROLAND OWIE
As one of the elders and party leaders in the state, the former Senator, who represented Edo South Senatorial District in the red chamber, Senator Roland Owie sent an open letter to the Governor. The letter reads:
“It is unfortunate that our son, Gov. Obaseki has allowed himself to be dented politically by Palace jesters around him. He is educated and can read the PDP Constitution. There is no provision for harmonization
“The issue of those APC members that came with him to PDP in Edo State, is a matter that can be settled easily without offending the Party Constitution.
“No leader in Edo PDP that I know, including Chief Dan Orbih, that is fighting you at all. Those fighting you are those around you, who do not believe in you, but only interested in their ambition and urging you to wage an unnecessary fight against those who sheltered you when others drove you into the rain.”
EFFORTS BY THE PDP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN TO MEND THE BROKEN WALLS
In an attempt to mend the broken wall, the national chairman of the Party, Senator Iyocha Ayu, in a visit to the state on Thursday advised the warring parties to sheath their swords and embrace dialogue, he asked them not to repeat a pitfall that made the party lose the state to the opposition for twelve years.
According to him.
“Let no one deceive you that he (Obaseki) is leaving PDP. Nigerians will see how we will receive all those from other parties. In 2023, we shall be back in power; we have started working towards that.
“Edo people, learn from my state, Benue. If you fight, you will lose the election. I am going to bring a team that will settle the issue in Edo.
“I have been working from behind, I am happy that the Deputy Governor, Shaibu said the truth that the leadership of the party in the state is not working. We are very close to solving the crisis in Edo.
“Once the leadership is divided you won’t get a good result. All our emphasis is on unity. We cannot talk about taking over power in 2023 if our state leadership is not on good terms.
“Edo is going to produce the highest number of votes in the next general elections. We shall win all the Senatorial and House of Representatives seats. I want to assure you that by next week, we will set up a team to look at all the issues in Edo PDP. All the leaders in Edo should help to resolve the problem, not to fire it more. We will engineer the process and they will conclude the process.” He said.
DAN ORBIH KEEPS MUM, STAYS AWAY FROM MEGA RALLY.
While the Obaseki camp has been doing the talking, the Orbih camp has chosen to keep mum and work in salience, the camp which mostly consists of party executives from the ward to the state level, except a few were missing at the mega rally organized to welcome the party national chairman on Thursday.
When contacted, Orbih said, he does not have anything to say.
“I don’t have anything to say on that, please, I am on my way to Abuja”, he said
