Loyalists of Chief Dan Orbih, the South South zonal national vice chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),
appear to have lost out, albeit temporarily as Edo PDP Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi Wednesday issued Certificates of Return to supporters of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Notwithstanding the ongoing legal tussle over the conduct of it primary, Dr. Aziegbemi gave certificates of return to loyalists of Governor Obaseki for the various elective positions in the state for the 2023 polls.
Among those presented with the certificates by Dr. Aziegbemi included incumbent Senators Francis Alimikhena (Edo North), Clifford Ordia (Edo Central) and Mathew Iduoriyekenmwen (Edo South) and others.
Aside the three the Senatorial candidates, nine of House of Representatives candidates and 24 House of Assembly candidates were also presented certificates by the chairman who charged the candidates to go out and canvass for votes and ensure victory for the party in the forthcoming elections
The chairman reminded that the party’s National Working Committee had set up various panels for the conduct of primaries for the various elective positions in the state, noting that the candidates presented with certificates were those that emerged from those various panels that were sent to Edo State from the national headquarters.
“When the Certificates of Returns were ready in Abuja, I was called to come and pick them up and today, we have to hand them over on behalf of the national chairman. These are Certificate of Returns to our candidates for the various elections coming up next year.
“What that means is that these are the candidates of the party in Edo State.
“They have their Certificate of Returns and we expect that they should go round the nook and cranny of this state to make sure that the certificates are returned with mandate for the party to know that the certificates that were given out to them today were not just given out to them in vain.
“So, we expect a lot from the candidates, we expect that they should now go round the place. They should now appeal to everybody to be on board so that at the end, we as one PDP big family, we go into the elections and win all the seats for PDP,” he said.
On his messages to the electorate ahead of the elections, Aziegbemi admitted that it will be difficult to convince Nigerians to vote because the All Progressives Congress (APC) has made the living conditions difficult for the vast majority of the people.
“Well, it is not easy for us to send our message to the public as we speak because the APC has messed up the whole thing.
“Everybody in this country will attest to the fact that we are suffering. Is it the prices of food stuff? Is it the prices of transport? Insecurity is zero.
“So, for us in PDP, we are appealing to our citizens, to Nigerians, especially to Edolites, that we have done it before”, he added.
He conceded that there will always be internal squabbles in the party, adding that the party will however as attempt do all it can at mitigating them as crisis is part of politics just as he said that the party will always preach peace.
