By Adibe Emenyonu
Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has written to the National Secretariat of the party in protest against alleged plot to dissolve the leadership of the party at the ward, local government and state levels by the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
The party also frowned at the delay in the appointment of commissioners by the governor, which it alleged has completely excluded members of the party from the scheme of things in the affairs of the state
The protest came barely three weeks after the state Chairman of the party, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, said the party is with the governor over the delay in constituting the state executive council.
In a strongly-worded letter to the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, and signed by the state Chairman and Secretary of PDP, Tony Aziegbemi and Hillary Otsu respectively, after a resolution passed in an emergency and expanded State Working Committee (SWC) of the party, the state PDP frowned at a purported state leaders meeting held in the Government House last Saturday, where it was allegedly resolved that the leadership of the party at all levels be dissolved.
The letter alleged that after over five hours deliberation, “the expanded SWC and local government chairmen of the state PDP reject in its entirety the proposal by the above mentioned meeting to dissolve the legitimately elected executive committee members of the PDP at the ward, local government and state levels.”
They also alleged that the said meeting in the Government House was called to ambush the state chairman of the party, who was said to be in the minority with only three leaders of the party as against 10 who came with Obaseki.
According to the letter, “We hereby reiterate to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our party that the issue of dissolution of executive committees in Edo State is ‘subjudice’, and it will be an act of contempt of court to revisit it by the party.
“The genesis of this looming crisis results from the acquiescence of the NWC members who negotiated Obaseki’s movement to PDP, to reach a verbal or written agreement on the integration of the new members vis-a-vis the sharing of appointments after the elections had been won. We, therefore, condemn Obaseki’s re-appointment of his former SSG without any consideration for the legacy of the PDP he joined. To this end, they have consistently sung a tune of harmonisation ever since Obaseki was sworn in, knowing that he now has the ‘yam and the knife’.
“We have resolved strongly that if any harmonisation must take place, it must start from the governor’s office, where his deputy governor should resign and a deputy nominated from the old PDP is sworn in. This can be a spring board for broad harmonisation across the state party organs.”
They further alleged that Obaseki was being misled by three categories of people in the party which they identified as aspirants for 2023 and 2024 elections; members of the party who lost during the party’s congresses, and alleged godfathers they said came with the governor from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, who have refused to register in the party in their wards.”
