Edo PDP In Crisis Over Alleged Manipulation Of Delegate List

Some stakeholders and politicians in the People Democratic Party, PDP, Edo chapter have tabled some allegations over Governor Godwin Obaseki’s delegate list.

According to a source who spoke with Legit.ng on grounds of anonymity, some influential personnel in government have sent their own list to national chairman in Abuja for his approval.

The source claimed that the list authenticated by the Independent National Electoral Commission was dropped by the individuals because of their personal interests.

He stated further that politicians who are already planning to dump the PDP for Labour Party (LP) are concerned only about imposing their candidates on the party and retaining the majority seats even after dumping the PDP.

The source said: “And the National Chairman wants to adopt the list of delegates not monitored and signed by INEC.”

The source maintained that despite the fact of being aware that the list was not the original one, the governor is ready to put his signature on it.

The source argued that once that happens, it will deprive the party of the opportunity of retaining the majority seat in the Edo State Assembly.

According to him, the national leadership of the party needs to intervene now that the issue has been escalated.

When the news outlet reached out to Hillary Otsu, the PDP state’s secretary, he confirmed the development and the alleged involvement of the governor.

Expressing great concern of an impending crisis Otsu said: “We did all we could in the last congress according to the constitution of the party; myself and the organizing secretary; in fact, the entire working committee because we had several meetings before that exercise, but to my surprise, we have been hearing this story.

“But what has now buttressed the story is that on the day of the exercise when all the returning officers which we sent out to the wards to conduct the congresses returned to submit their results, the committee sent from Abuja was nowhere to be found.

“They came to the secretariat, spent about 5 minutes and left. Till we speak, we haven’t seen them. So we collated all the results; me and the legal adviser.

“What we heard is that they were given a list from the government house by the governor to take to Abuja. A list that was not collated from any congress centre. So as we speak, that is what I know.

“I hope that the national chairman desists from any such act because if he goes to approve such a list, we are going to throw Edo State into what Zamfara State experienced two years ago.”