Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has alleged that party members fighting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been paid by other political parties.
Obaseki made the allegation at the weekend in Benin City, capital city of Edo State, while inaugurating the PDP governorship campaign council ahead of the September 21, 2024, election.
Apparently referring to members of the PDP Legacy Group of the Edo chapter of the party, said: “Those fighting PDP have collected money from the other political parties, and I want you all present here to join me flush them out. Let them stay out since they have collected money.”
The New Diplomat reports that the PDP Legacy Group comprises mainly the foundation members of the party, which helped Governor Obaseki to pursue his re-election in 2020 after the National Working Committee (NWC), of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, now a Senator, refused Obaseki the APC ticket for his re-election.
Obaseki, thereafter, decamped to the PDP, and the Legacy Group, headed by former Edo chapter chairman and Vice Chairman (South-South), Chief Dan Orbih, led the campaign to re-elect Obaseki and the recently impeached Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu in September 2020.
However, the group fell out with Obaseki for his alleged failure to fulfill the conditions upon which the Legacy Group threw its weight behind Obaseki right from his nomination as the PDP candidate for the election.
Lately, the group has denounced the PDP candidate, Dr Ighodalo, for the September 21 governorship poll, alleging that Obaseki, who “anointed” Ighodalo from his own camp, did not pick the running mate from the group.
While the group continues to call on Obaseki to do the needful by integrating its members into the PDP governing system in Edo State, its members are reportedly weighing options to endorse and vote for a candidate from a rival party to the PDP at the September election.
Meanwhile, Obaseki has boasted that the PDP campaign council for the governorship election would deliver 80 per cent of votes to Asuerinme Ighodalo, the party’s candidate.
As reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Obaseki noted that the party had the best candidate that would continue from where he would stop in November 2024 when he exits governance of Edo State.
He said that the structure of the campaign council was rooted in all the 192 wards across the state, adding that every organ of the party was captured.
“Today, we are here to inaugurate the campaign council that will lead PDP to victory in the September 21 governorship election,” Obaseki said.
“The campaign is going to be based on what we have achieved and the lives we have touched. The campaign will also be based on the future not the past.
“We see the suffering the people are going through, so the campaign will be based on the hope PDP will give our citizens.”
Earlier, the State Chairman of the PDP, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, said that the campaign council comprised 363 members, excluding the women and youth wings.
In his acceptance speech, the Director-General of the state campaign council, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, thanked the governor and PDP faithful for the opportunity to serve the party, and promised to lead the party to victory come September.
In his remarks, the PDP governorship candidate, Mr Asuerinme Ighodalo, who thanked party faithful and leaders for the confidence reposed in him, said Obaseki had laid a functional foundation at every sector that he would build upon.
