Tension In Edo PDP As Obaseki’s Group Threatens To Dump Party

A former commissioner for information in Edo state and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Charles Idahosa, has given details about the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party.

In an exclusive interview with bioreports, Idahosa faulted the petition written by the chairman of the party in the state, Anthony Aziegbemi, to the national chairman, Uche Secondus, to stop Governor Godwin Obaseki from dissolving the state executive.

Bioreports gathered that he said it is rather unfortunate that the state chairman of the PDP, who was present at the meeting of the party, went back to call another meeting of his own group and narrated to them what they wanted to hear.

He said Aziegbemi didn’t give them the true picture of what happened at the meeting.

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According to him, the chairman claimed they were only three at the meeting and that those who came with Obaseki were 10.

Idahosa said: “Both sides had equal representations at the meeting. Five were from the other camp and five were with Obaseki. The other three people that were there were what we call ‘statutory members.’ These are the governor, deputy governor and secretary to the state government. They didn’t come as members of any group. So, the five people that came from the old APC and the PDP people were equal.

“Unfortunately, Dan Orbih, the south-south national vice-chairman didn’t turn up for the meeting. We knew he was in town. He knew that Tom Ikimi, former minister of external affairs; Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, former chief of staff to the president and former deputy governor of Edo for eight years has been completely ostracised.”

Speaking on the allegation that most APC members that defected to PDP with Governor Obaseki have refused to register at their wards, Idahosa noted that when Obaseki was in APC, he said if he was forced out of the party, he would follow him to any party he goes to.

He added that he followed Obaseki to PDP secretariat to pick his form, noting that the next day, he registered in his ward and the picture was everywhere.

Idahosa further stated:
“Since we joined PDP, we have been having problems. All the people that came with us from APC are not holding any position. They said they already constituted their exco, what about our people that came?

“In other words, I, Charles Idahosa cannot produce a councilor in my ward. The governor from Ward 4 in Oredo cannot produce a councilor because the delegates that will choose councillorship candidates are all PDP. No person that came with Obaseki from APC to PDP can have any political ambition to be anything. That is why we are saying let’s harmonise.”

Meanwhile, Bioreports had previously reported that the insistence by Governor Obaseki that the federal government printed additional N50 to N60 billion to bridge the shortfall in allocations to states has come as a shock to the Progressive Governors’ Forum.

It was reported that in a statement on Sunday, April 18, by its chairman, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, the forum explained that Obaseki’s position has the capacity of negatively impacting the credibility of government both at federal and state levels.