By Tosin Olatokunbo
The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo state has deepened after the governor , Godwin Obaseki read a riot act to party members opposing his leadership. The state’s helmsman who has been in a running battle with some PDP leaders has now told his traducers in the party to accept him as the leader or be shown the way out.
Obaseki decamped from the All Progressives Congress, APC ahead the 2020 Governorship election, which he later won. He dumped his former party due to a protracted crisis of confidence between him and a former governor of the state and APC Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
Since Obaseki won the election, it has been one problem or the other, to the extent that the governor was said to be contemplating leaving the party at a point.
The festering crisis took turn for the worst last October when the party in Ward 2, Etsako West Local Government Area, LGA suspended 10 members for alleged anti-party activities.
Most of the suspended members were staunch supporters of Governor Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu.
The complaints by those angry in with the governor is that his leadership style is not acceptable to a slew of PDP leaders, who are now fighting to take their party back from Obaseki who they accused of hijacking the party.
But the governor has sent a strong message to his political enemies that they must accept his leadership or be shown the way out of the party.
Obaseki who spoke on Sunday during an expanded caucus meeting of leaders and members of the PDP in the state, said the constitution of the party bequeaths him with the leadership of the party in the state.
Based on the PDP constitution the governor said he will not “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.”
The governor warned those causing problems their action could affect the chances of the PDP in the forthcoming local government election in the state, adding that those behind the crisis are in the minority.
“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”. Orbih is a former chairman of the party in the state.
Obaseki said further that “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.”
The governor however sued for peace saying all factions must come together in the interest of the party. He noted that the number of registered PDP members has increased since he become governor.
According to him, “politics is not about fighting but dialogue and discussion. I urge us to collaborate and unite to move the party and state forward.
“These numbers are not fabricated as we have the data, pictures, emails and phone numbers of members of the party we have registered so far. You have broken records as this is the bastion of PDP in Nigeria. We have changed the face of politics in Nigeria.
“I didn’t give leaders any resources to mobilize them but rather they challenged themselves and achieved the goal to register more members in the state.
“Some people went around saying people should not join our party. No true party man will do that. Those that engaged in that are not true members of the party and don’t belong to Edo PDP. If not, they will not push people away from the party”, the governor said.
