2023: PDP To Reconcile Grieving Edo Members, Vows To Defeat APC in 2023

THE national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, began moves to resolve the crisis rocking the party in Edo State as it said a high powered committee would be set up to meet with grieving members of the party.

It boasted that the party was set to wrest power from the All Progressives Congress, APC, at the federal level come 2023.

Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Sen. Wali Jibrin, made the disclosure at a rally in Benin City attended by BoT members; National Working Committee, NWC, members; elected senators; members of the House of Representatives and other leaders of the party across the three senatorial zones of the state.

However, several leaders of the party in the state, such as the Vice Chairman, South-South, Chief Dan Orbih and several others were absent at the rally

There has been unease in the state PDP since the re-election of Governor Godwin Obaseki for a second term in 2020, as all those who defected with him from the APC to the PDP led by his deputy, Philip Shaibu, have been complaining of marginalisation and the refusal of the PDP to integrate them into the party.

Jibrin at the rally said the leadership of the party was already working to ensure that the party remained one in the state.

He said: “The governor is a great governor and he is recognised by the party. What I will say is to beg Edo people to come and work together and give good support to the governor.

“The governor left APC for PDP, what are we going to do, are we going to send him away? The PDP will do whatever it must to make sure that this governor remains the governor of this state. Very soon, the BoT will form a committee that will be here to ensure that there is only one party and will give support to the PDP so that the next election will be all PDP.”

Corroborating this position, National Chairman of the party, Sen Iyorcha Ayu said from next week, the people would see what the leadership of the party at the national level has done to resolve the crisis in Edo State.

Ayu said he is married to an Edo woman, who has five children for him, adding: “Will I allow the party in my state to fall apart? My brothers and sisters, divided we fall, united we stand.

He also assured the people that Obaseki would not leave the PDP as being rumoured, describing him as an asset to the party.

Earlier, Governor Obaseki said the party was poised to retain power in the state, adding: “PDP is in the DNA of Edo people and it has remained so and it will not change.”

He reiterated the position of his deputy, Philip Shaibu, who said Edo State would determine the mood of Nigerians in the next general election as “wherever Edo people go, Nigerians will go.”  

Shaibu in his remarks expressed disappointment on the way they were being treated since joining the PDP from APC.

The state chairman of the party, Dr Tony Aziegbemi commended Governor Obaseki for achieving so much despite the skirmishes and believed that the national leadership of the party would resolve it.

Credit: Vanguard

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