Edo: I Would Not Leave PDP – Obaseki Vows

The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has vowed not to dump the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

This is coming after the state chapter of the party suspended the National South-South Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, member of the House of Representatives representing Oredo federal constituency, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama; state Secretary of Edo State PDP, Hilary Otsu; PDP Chairman in Oredo LGA, Oduwa Igbinosun, and Chairman of PDP in Oredo Ward Four, Mr Friday Enaruna.

Orbih and others were suspended from the party by all the party leaders across the 18 LGAs and the three senatorial districts of the state at a meeting held in Benin City.

The call for their suspension was made by the leader of PDP in Oredo LGA, Mike Nosa-Ehima, and seconded by a leader of the party from Etsako West LGA, Sylvanus Eruaga.

Nosa-Ehima while addressing the party leaders said, “All those that have refused to allow the party to grow are being suspended in the interest of the PDP.”

Obaseki while also speaking at the meeting said, “There are people who have continued to feed you with lies. That is the nature of their politics, if there is no confusion they will not eat.

“Last year, when we join you, we started a movement that has never happened in Edo before not even in our politics.

“If we go for election today, we will win by 85 per cent. It means we don’t have meaningful opposition and if this is the situation, we should not create opposition inside.

“We are here to stay and invest in PDP. I am the governor to join PDP last and was made chairman of our e-registration process, so why should I leave the party.

“We came to meet PDP as a solid party, the only true party in this country while others are special purpose vehicles for elections.

“I said come let us harmonise and the harmonization is to carry everybody along. We don’t need to lie in politics. Politics is a game of numbers.

“For one year I have been begging for us to harmonise, went round when we wanted to make appointments and the number of applications, we have been almost same number with the petition we received, it shows we have not harmonised.

“I call all of you leaders of the party to come together to build a solid party. We won our election last year because of our cooperation.

“United will stand and divided will fall. We are in PDP now for over a year.

“We can’t escape from harmonization if we want to go for National Convention. I have almost 300 to 400 political appointments I want to make.

“People are greedy, politics is all about to give and take. I appreciate PDP, we came, we won, we are not leaving PDP, will not accept any opposition within PDP, if you are not happy with my leadership, you can leave us.

“Let’s all of us harmonise, some local governments have done theirs, while some are still far behind.

“By this weekend, please complete the harmonization. I am here to assure you that there is something for everyone that has worked for us and continues to work for us.

“The important thing is for us to continue to grow our party,” he said.