Edo PDP Crises: Former NUJ President, Izobo Tells Obaseki What To Do

Former national president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ Mr George Izobo has intervened into the seemingly intractable crises in the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

In a memo to the chairman of the reconciliation committee of the party, Bishop Anthony Okosun constituted by state chairman, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi, the former NUJ president articulated the intrigues and conspiracies that have befuddled the party in Edo State since 1999.

Izobo spoke from the position of knowledge and institutional memory given the fact that he was the pioneer State Publicity Secretary, SPS of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo State.

Izobo, now a party elder spoke against the background of the civil war in the PDP that has seen Governor Godwin Obaseki in open war with his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu.

Even more, the governor and his deputy are now said to be fighting over the carcass of the PDP given the fact that the mainstream of the party as led by Chief Dan Orbih was judicially sidelined by controversial court decision which invested his faction of the party with the appointment of candidates in the last General Election.

Izobo in a response to an invitation extended by the reconciliation committee, however, did not spare words in asserting that the progressive treachery of PDP governors in Edo State as the bane of the party in Edo State. According to him that malaise has climaxed with Governor Obaseki noting that the only solution was for Obaseki to apologise to the mainstream of the party as led by the national vice-chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih.

It would be recalled that after he negotiated his entry into the party from Abuja in June 2020 that Orbih was compelled to lead the campaign for Obaseki’s reelection. However, following the victory the party was put aside as the governor constituted his government.

A bold move by the mainstream of the party to take over the ascendancy suffered a setback when the Supreme Court gave credence to the slate of candidates selected by the governor’s faction of the party. That decision led to the PDP for the first time losing federal elections in the state.

The party which even while out of government at state and federal levels won the majority in presidential and National Assembly polls was forced to play catch up to Labour Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.

The catastrophe that befell the PDP was what made Governor Obaseki to constitute a reconciliation committee  led by Okosun from Edo Central.

It has also been asserted that the crisis was what partly triggered the conflict between Obaseki and his deputy Shaibu as it is believed that the deputy governor saw that without the mainstream or legacy party led by Orbih that the PDP is finished and hence his alleged flirtation with other parties in the state.

But in his response, to the Reconciliation Committee which leaked, Izobo asked the committee and Obaseki to retrace their steps to Orbih and the mainstream.

He said:

As he addressed Bishop Okosun:

“I got a notification on behalf of “Edo State PDP conflict and resolution committee”-  for a meeting at Afuze. It was stated that you are chairman of the committee.

“My frontal & consistent membership of PDP is as old as PDP itself. Bishop – you personally know that.

Noting how PDP governors precipitated the past crises, he said:

Lucky’s (Igbinedion) “silent conflict” with leadership brought about “Grace Group” with the philosophy of “No man is God” in opposition to leadership.

The divide caused by that conflict dovetailed into Prof. Osunbor’s confrontation with “leadership” of PDP.

Many unprintable consequences followed that unnecessary conflict.

PDP’s Osunbor governorship was “dashed” to Oshiomhole’s ACN. It was even rumoured that Oshiomhole’s struggle to power was funded by PDP state resources – through Grace group’s inhibition of PDP leadership – with the slogan “No man is God”.

Noting the present crisis between the legacy PDP and Obaseki, he said:

“We are currently witnessing the worst ever. People are suffering. Development is suffering. The spirit of good relationship has been killed among the people of Edo.

“In all of these sequences – human attempts were made at reconciliation & resolutions. They failed – they continue to fail – because greener pasture seekers who benefit from the conflicts keep fuelling them.

“The seemingly endemic constancy of PDP “conflicts in Edo State” appears to be beyond human redemption.

On the two options open to the party, Izobo said:

“One is terrestrial – the other is celestial.

1. Governor Obaseki should swallow his pride – propelled  & fuelled by greedy psychophants around him – relate honestly with Dan Orbih – to seek peace, justice & resolution to d current conflict within PDP.

2. Let us seek the face & forgiveness of God – & beg HIM to kill the spirit of “conflicts” in Edo political system.”

Following the diagnosis of the crisis from the global perspective, he now settled on his local chapter in Owan East where he is the leader of the party, describing the composition of stakeholders as unacceptable.

While Izobo has given his perspective of a solution, others are giving theirs and it now behoves on the national leadership to seek the path of justice and truth.

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