BY SIMON EBEGBULEM
THE Dr Samuel Ogbemudia/Admiral Mike Akhigbe-led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, yesterday, gave reasons why the PDP lost to the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the just concluded general elections in the state, saying that the group worked for the ACN candidates because “we were taken for granted by Chief Tony Anenih.”

Speaking to newsmen in Benin, yesterday, the faction’s Chairman, Elder Sunny Uyigue, said that the group observed that the candidates presented by the ACN were more credible than the PDP candidates, adding that the people of the state voted credible candidates and not on party lines. He  claimed that the PDP candidates also failed to acquaint themselves with the Dr Ogbemudia/Admiral Akhigbe group, therefore, it was difficult to support a stranger in the election.

Elder Uyigue regretted the fortunes of the PDP in the state and warned that more bad days were ahead for the party, unless the national leadership of the party intervened in the lingering crisis to ensure that they have senatorial autonomy in the party.

On why his group worked against the party, Elder Uyigue, said,  “I am a PDP leader in Edo State but I want to say that the voting pattern in the last elections, did not follow party lines. The voting was purely on personality. We voted for Jonathan and ensured his victory in the state and after that, we went to sleep. Look at the candidates presented by the PDP, they were nothing to write home about. But the ACN presented quality candidates and people voted for them.

“The truth was that we don’t even know who the PDP candidates are. The godfather imposed them on the people,” he added.

“Unfortunately,  the people said no more imposition of candidates and that was why the PDP failed in the elections. People voted for performance. PDP did not fail as a party but it failed because the candidates were wrongly fixed by the godfather this time,” he added.