New Edo PDP chairman harps on need for internal democracy

By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—THE new Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Chief Dan Orbih, said weekend that for the party to be able to recapture power from Action Congress (AC), it must ensure that internal democracy was entrenched in the party.

Chief Orbih, who spoke to party supporters in a rally in Benin City, shortly after he was sworn-in in Port Harcourt by  the National Vice-Chairman of the party (South South), Chief Edet Nkpubre, urged party members to forget about the past internal crisis which almost destroyed the party in the state and work together to capture power from AC.

The unity rally tagged  “mother of all rallies”, was attended by the former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, immediate past governor of the state, Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor, former governorship aspirant of Action Congress, Mr. Ken Imasuagbon and Senators Yisa Braimoh and Elder Odion Ugbesia.

Others are majority leader of the House of Representatives, Col. Tunde Akogun, former deputy governor of the state, Mr. Lucky Imasuen, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Zakawanu Garuba, House of Representatives members, chairmen of councils and other PDP leaders in the state.

The Samuel Ogbemudia-led faction of the PDP was conspicuously absent at the rally, which also witnessed the defection of the former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Emmanuel Arigbe-Osula, from the ANPP to the PDP.

However, Orbih asserted that “ the party has been involved in petty internal squabbles for nearly two years now; this avoidable conflict has no doubt affected the political fortunes of our party in spite of the high quality and number of membership the party enjoys in the state.

“The time has come for us to put all that behind us and face the challenges ahead. Having collectively elected me as the chairman of the party in the state, we must all join hands to rebuild our party in Edo state.

“I will treat all party members as equal irrespective of past differences. I will provide quality and constructive leadership and I will lead the party with the spirit of the founding fathers of the party and I will ensure internal democracy and above all uphold the supremacy of the party.

“Edo state belongs to all of us and we cannot sit down and watch a confused administration mess it up for us. We are saddled with a government that does talking without commensurate action. The only thing we see here now is demolition.  But we are determined take over by 2011 and 2012.”

In his address, Chief Anenih described Governor Adams Oshiomhole as a “stranger” who occupied the state Government House, and vowed that the party would recapture the seat in the 2012 governorship election.

According to him, “we are not suppose to be in opposition in the state, therefore, members of the state executive should be up and doing and match to Government House. It may take few months, it may take few years but we will be there. We will criticize the government of Edo state when it did not perform and our criticism will be constructive.

Chief Anenih, who apparently was commenting on the absence of Dr Ogbemudia and other members of his faction in the rally, asserted that “no intimidation, no Ghana must go bag to buy our people. They will not succeed.

The fact that this event witnessed this crowd shows that they cannot buy us easily.  We are not easy buy, they cannot buy us easily. We are not for sale; those who are for sale are not here.”