…They will be accommodated – Okpebholo’s aide

By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – AS the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal resumes sitting tomorrow (Monday), some members and leaders of the Legacy Group who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and claim to be the core of the party until the former governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki joined the party and distorted it is angry over what they termed lopsided appointments so far by the Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration.

At the peak of the disagreements in the PDP which is largely attributed to the way and manner Obaseki handled the affairs of the party, some members of the group formally defected from the party to the APC while others stayed behind but it is believed that they worked against the PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo which contributed to their defeat.

So far, Governor Monday Okpebholo has made strategic appointments, the latest being the nomination of six commissioner designates already sent to the Edo State House of Assembly for clearance and the Legacy Group is said not to be happy.

The Legacy Group in the PDP is led by the Vice Chairman, South-South of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih who has been appointed as the Chairman, Governing Council of the state-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, the members said that is not enough compared to the role they played leading to and during the election.

Vanguard gathered that some of the leaders met in Abuja with the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike who is a known supporter of the Legacy Group where they expressed their displeasure about the way they were being sidelined.

One of the leaders who was in the meeting told Vanguard that “Of all the commissioners so far, no Legacy Group is there and the Legacy Group and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole played a prominent role in his emergence as governor. Our members and leaders are not happy and we expressed this in a meeting in Abuja between the Legacy Group and the Minister of the FCT. Is it not shocking that some leaders like Dan Orbih now call him and he doesn’t pick anymore?

“The anger is gathering momentum, many of the leaders are not happy with the governor,

“The tribunal is resuming on Monday, no prominent APC leader in Edo State is aware of anything about the tribunal, many are in the dark and we hear that the governor is planning to dump the Legacy Group completely.”

When confronted with the appointment of Oladele Bankole-Balogun, a leader of the Legacy Group as the chairman, Edo State Inland Revenue Service, he said “No, it was not a slot for us, he got it through a different arrangement.”

He said as the Tribunal resumes tomorrow, he hoped the scenario that happened between former governor, Sen. Oserhiemen Osunbor and late Chief Tony Anenih does not replay itself where principal witnesses did not show up to defend Osunbor’s victory because of his quarrel with Anenih.

Okpebholo’s Aide reacts
When contacted, Special Adviser to Governor Okpebholo on Communication Strategy and Media Projects, Godswill Inegbe dispelled the fears of the group assuring them that the governor would bring them into the government.

He told Vanguard that “Dan Orbih who everybody knows is the head of the Legacy Group has just been given an appointment and I am also aware that for the commissionership position, there are slots reserved for the Legacy Group who will be members of the cabinet. They should be patient because by the time the entire list is released, the interest of the Legacy Group will be captured. The governor is not someone who uses people and dumps them; he is someone who rewards loyalty. They should have no fears at all.” He said