Why Obaseki Is Facing Serious Trouble In PDP

By GWG Staff

The court order obtained by Rep. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama restraining the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC from allowing Governor Godwin Obaseki to participating in the party’s governorship primary on Thursday was not unexpected.

The order specifically restrains the PDP from allowing those who did not buy the PDP form within the timeline given by the party from participating in the party primary scheduled for Thursday.

Obaseki has Wednesday to show cause why the order should not subsist.

Obaseki’s defection to the PDP upturned the permutations of many party leaders and stakeholders who had prior to the development figured out how the PDP would win the governorship election after 12 years in the wilderness.

The PDP leaders were boosted in their plans by the fact that the party had continued to show strong presence in the state. The party presently has two of the three senators in the state.

The PDP had also hoped to benefit from the crisis in the All Progressives Congress, APC.

However, the projections for the PDP changed with two significant developments last March; the death of Mallam Abba Kyari and the change of executive in the state chapter.

Kyari had worked out a truce between Obaseki and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to the intent that Obaseki would fly the APC ticket and Oshiomhole remaining as chairman.

However, with egos sufficiently bruised in the state, followers of Oshiomhole were expected to sabotage the plot and work against Obaseki as the APC candidate and favour the PDP in the main election.

However, Kyari died and Oshiomhole quickly came into his elements and took the initiatives that eventually forced Obaseki out of the party.

The second development was the exit of the influential party chairman, Chief Dan Orbih who stepped down after a glorious ten year reign as chairman of the party.

Orbih, had prior to his exit had stepped up the process to help the party win the governorship election. Though he may not admit it, he was largely believed to be behind the aspiration of Ogbeide-Ihama for the governorship.

Even more, Ize-Iyamu’s exit from the PDP was also believed to have been fueled by suspicions by his associates that Orbih would not back his aspiration in the party for a second time.

While it is easy to believe that the entry of Obaseki into the party may strengthen the party, party operatives believe that Orbih had prepped the party for gubernatorial victory with or without Obaseki.

As a senior party chieftain told GWG before Obaseki formally joined the party, “the issue for us is what do we do with those party activists who have been in the trenches for years and who have been fighting for the party?”

A message trending on one PDP social media chat room on Tuesday morning read in part:

“Gov. Obaseki quarreled with his people, people who introduced him to Politics, supported him in becoming governor etc. You a stranger, what chance do you have?

Gov. Obaseki has come to PDP with his array of staff and appointees who are loyal to him, what’s in it for you? Gov.  Dep. Gov., SSG,Chief of staff, commissioners, special advisors, special assistants slots are all taken, what will you get?

This same Gov. Obaseki that PDP was saying hadn’t tried a couple of weeks ago, is suddenly the best?”

It is generally believed that the court suit to stop Obaseki is coming from the camp of those who were flowing along the permutations scripted by Orbih to bring Ogbeide-Ihama to power.

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