Obaseki Fights 2020 Campaign Manager, Orbih, Over Harmonisation Of PDP Excos

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has rebuffed insinuations he said were fed by Chief Dan Orbih, the national vice-chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South-South that there was no harmonisation of the party leadership in the state.

Speaking to some PDP chieftains and supporters at the weekend, he said he has no plan of defecting from the PDP, urging anyone uncomfortable with his leadership of the party to leave.

His sharp tone is bound to rekindle the crisis in the Edo State chapter of the PDP following opposition by the mainstream of the party to the governor’s proposals to integrate former All Progressives Congress, APC stalwarts into the executive committees of the party at ward, LGA and state levels.

The governor, who stated that the party is now fully harmonized, stressed that the constitution of the party bequeaths him with the leadership of the party in the state, a position which he claimed is not up for contest by anyone.

“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,” he said.

He noted, “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 harmonization 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,” the governor said of Orbih who was his campaign manager for his 2020 re-election

“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.”

GreenWhiteGreenn GWG reports that the claims of the governor followed the crisis in the party that came with the proposal to integrate those who came with the governor from the All Progressives Congress, APC when he joined the party into the state, LGA and ward executives of the PDP.

A large section of the party members had reportedly frowned at the proposal on harmonisation from Governor Obaseki and were supported by Orbih to the discomfort of the governor. The crisis led to the “suspension” of Orbih by a caucus of PDP chieftains hosted by the governor in October 2021. The suspension was sharply rebuffed by the state executive of the party and annulled by the national leadership of the party.

Others at the meeting included the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu; Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), Hon. Marcus Onobun; Senator Matthew Urhoghide; Senator Clifford Odia; Chief Tom Ikimi; Hon. Joe Edionwele and National Youth Deputy Leader of PDP, Timothy Osadolor, among others.

However, the assertions were on Sunday night being challenged with some asking for a proof of the powers claimed by the governor at the meeting.

“Are we now operating the Edo PDP with another constitution? You may wish to intimate me with the section in this constitution that gave him this right and power,” one stakeholder asked on Sunday.

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