.Plots to take over party thickens

By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – WHEN Governor Godwin Obaseki and many of his supporters defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the September 19 2020 governorship election due to his disqualification by the APC, some political analysts had opined that it was a marriage that may not last but many people did not believe that the crisis would erupt so soon; less than one year into the marriage.

As of today, Obaseki has not been able to form a government. He has made only one appointment which is the Secretary to State Government (SSG).

There is no Chief of Staff as Vanguard gathered that his choice was not acceptable to many of the leaders of PDP. The preferred person was said to have come with him from the APC.

The governor has not also appointed a spokesperson nor has he filled any of the 15 Special Adviser positions approved for him on request by the state house of assembly so the government is currently run by the trio of the governor, his deputy, Hon Philip Shaibu and the SSG, Osarodion Ogie Esq.

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Observers believe that the PDP in Edo State is still missing people like the late former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, late Chief Tony Anenih who could rally all the divides together but the party as it is right now has several warlords across the three senatorial districts holding unto their areas of strength and struggling to outdo one another.

The crisis in the party is multifaceted, members of the party are not united, there are those who call themselves original members of the PDP who are not united and then the governor and those who came with him from the APC.

Vanguard gathered that the governor may have decided to move ahead with strategies to take over the party where the original members may have to “bow to him” before they can retain their membership of the party.

Genesis
The crisis in the party is believed to have started shortly after the election when some leaders of the party believed that they should have a say in the governor’s appointments. Some of them it was gathered even told the governor to immediately dissolve the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) and that of the  Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC) but they were said to have been miffed when the governor declined and told them that he was planning to extend the tenure of the EIRS Board.

The governor it was gathered also requested that as the leader of the party, the leadership of the party from the ward to the state level be dissolved and a mini congress conducted to infuse his members who come with him from the APC particularly the former state chairman of the APC, Anselm Ojezua and members of his State Working Committee (SWC) but this it was gathered was also rejected by the leaders of the PDP. This led to some of them instituting a court case in Abuja to stop the state governor from tampering with the leadership of the party.

The governor since then reportedly reduced his interaction with the leadership of the PDP and it became a case of the governor working with two sets of SWCs; Ojezua and his team that came from the APC and the elected PDP SWC headed by Hon Tony Azegbemi.

Meeting with selected leaders
Penultimate weekend, the governor met with leaders who it was alleged he personally selected that included the likes of Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, former Deputy Governor of the state, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the state chairman of the party, Aziegbemi and some others where he was said to have informed them of his plan to dissolve the SWC and call for fresh congresses.

Reactions

Irked by this decision, the SWC met and wrote a strongly worded letter to the national leadership of the party protesting the plot to dissolve leadership of the party and also frowned at the delay in the appointment of commissioners.
In a letter to the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus and signed by Tony Aziegbemi and the State Secretary of the party, Hillary Otsu which they said was part of the resolution passed in the emergency and expanded SWC meeting of the party, they frowned at the said state leaders’ meeting with the governor.

They also alleged that the said meeting was called to ambush the state chairman of the party who they said was in the minority with only three leaders of the party as against ten who came with Governor Obaseki.

They alleged that Governor 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 APC to the PDP who they said have refused to register into the party in their wards.

In a swift reaction, the governor summoned a meeting that had Aziegbemi and members of his SWC and Ojezua and his team where the governor was said to have made some revelations that the meeting he called earlier was suggested by a high profile leader of the party (name withheld) and that the political figure was the one who suggested most of the names to be invited for the meeting but shockingly, the same person did not show up on D Day and even allegedly encouraged some of the persons he suggested not to attend.

The governor was said to have informed the meeting that his intention is to make the PDP strong and that the people at the grassroots must be carried along and be part of decision making rather than the existing style where decisions are breathed down to the followers.

Vanguard gathered that “After the governor explained his intentions, they asked for time to suggest a way forward and the governor gave 48 hours for that to be done. He also explained to them that himself, his deputy and the SSG were in the meeting he held earlier by virtue of their position and not there to represent any interest”

Plot to take over the party

However, Vanguard gathered that the governor has concluded plans to take over the party irrespective of the position of those opposed to him using two strategies; one is his appointment by the national leadership of the PDP to organise e-registration of members of the party nationwide.

It was gathered that he has appointed coordinators across the 18 local government areas and many of them are said to be LGA party chairmen that came with him from the APC to handle the planned e-registration.
He is also said to have set up a committee largely made up of those who came with him from the APC to suggest people he would be in his cabinet.
In a related development which seemed to be part of the plot to take over the party, a congress was called in Egor local government area by loyalists of Obaseki and suspended the chairman of the party in the council, Manfred Ekundayo and the Secretary, Moses Osarumwense.

Addressing members of the party at the party secretariat near Five Junction in Uselu, Assistant Secretary of the PDP in Egor, Ikponmwosa Eguavon also announced the former Deputy Chairman of the PDP, Ayo Efosa as the Acting Chairman of the party and pledged their support for Obaseki.

A statement signed by eight members of the party executive accused the suspended officials of not allowing the national leadership of the party to resolve the crisis in the PDP in the state among other issues.

The statement also passed a vote of confidence on Obaseki, Shaibu, Ogie and the PDP Co-ordinator Egor local government area, Chief Odion Olaye.
A similar meeting was also held in Akoko-Edo local government area on Saturday coordinated by Obaseki’s men where a vote of confidence was passed on the governor and his deputy.

Vanguard gathered that with the success in Egor, the same action is likely to take place in Uhunmwonde and then spread to other local government areas across the state.

It was gathered that the governor was ready to have a parallel secretariat and a high profile leader of the party in Edo South is already shopping for a befitting edifice to serve this purpose.

Opinions

WhenVanguard contacted the National Vice Chairman, South-South of the party, Chief Dan Orbih on the development, he said the issue has not been brought to his attention and would not want to comment on what has not been brought before his office and referred to the state chairman.

A member of the party who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “This crisis is multifaceted; the original PDP members are not united, they are fighting themselves and then you have the governor and those who came with him and are bent on taking over the party. This thing is being caused by lack of leadership in the PDP.

He said “The governor is already working with Abuja even though the issue that the governor is the leader of the party is not in the constitution of the PDP, it was the making of Obasanjo but the national can decided to wade into the crisis and they are most likely to be with the governor

“The end result might be the governor tampering with the party executives or quasi-harmonisation that may not last.”

Vanguard News Nigeria