By Gabriel Enogholease & Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has responded to rumours in the state that he was planning to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and possibly return to the All Progressives Congress, APC, saying anyone who was uncomfortable with his leadership of the party should leave.

The governor stated this at a stakeholders meeting held at the official residence of the deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.

The governor said the party was now fully harmonised, stressing that the constitution of the party bequeaths him with the leadership of the party in the state, a position which is not up for contest by anyone.

He said: “I can’t leave PDP. I will not decamp from the PDP, we will always win any election. PDP won in the last election and we will continue to win all elections in the state and country. Nothing will stop us as a party.”

The governor noted that the forthcoming local government election in the state would set the template for next year’s national and legislative elections, urging party members to reflect on the elections and work in unity to ensure victory in the polls.

He said: “There is no division in Edo PDP. Let the party be open to accommodate others. PDP is democratic. The hallmark of democracy is ensuring that the majority has their way, as the minority can’t dictate to the people.

“I heard that Chief Dan Orbih went around, saying there is no harmonisation in Edo PDP. This is really irresponsible to say and an insult to members of the party, as the party has truly harmonised in the state.

“PDP in Edo State is harmonised because before we made any appointments in any ward, we made sure the party at that level was harmonised. We are gathered here now as election timetable is out; harmonisation has been done, appointments made and we are ready to win any election before us.”

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Obaseki said PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu would visit the state on March 10, 2022, urging party leaders to bring along five percent of newly registered members to welcome the party chair.

Noting that over 539,000 members have been registered in the ongoing e-registration exercise, Obaseki said: “These number is not fabricated as we have the data, pictures, emails and phone numbers of members of the party we have registered so far. You have broken records as this is the bastion of PDP in Nigeria. We have changed the face of politics in Nigeria.”

“I didn’t give leaders any resources to mobilise them but rather they challenged themselves and achieved the goal to register more members in the state.

“Some people went around saying people should not join our party. No true party man will do that. Those that engaged in that are not true members of the party and don’t belong to Edo PDP. If not, they will not push people away from the party.

“Our focus now is on how to engage our members, make them participate in the policy-making process of the party. We don’t need to wait for an election before we act.”

Charging detractors sponsoring disunity in the state to stop forthwith, he said: “Edo is Edo, leave Edo State alone. They have tried us in battle, and have been made to know that we are battle-ready. We have been tested and trusted. We must always win elections; we must always win as a party.”

Vanguard News Nigeria