January 07, (THEWILL) – As preparation towards the September 2024 Governorship Election in Edo State hits top gear, the ruling party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is close in ranking. The hitherto bitter camps in the party are coming together to give other political parties in the state a run for their money.
Governor Godwin Obaseki kick-started the peace move as he used the occasion of the Yuletide to visit the leaders and stakeholders of the PDP in Edo North Senatorial District to celebrate Christmas with them.
The visit, which took him to the leaders in Eperi, Fugar and Ogbona communities, respectively, came against the backdrop of divisions in the party which pitted one group against another.
The leaders visited in the senatorial district included National Vice Chairman, PDP South-South, Chief Dan Orbih in Ogbona; former senatorial candidate, Barr. Paschal Ogbome, in Ugbekpe-Eperi and former deputy governor of the state, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe in Fugar, all in Etsako Central Local Government Area of the state.
THEWILL recalls that Obaseki and Dan Orbih have not been in speaking terms for some time now as they factionalised the party in Edo State.
Orbih had derided Obaseki at a Christmas party he held in his homestead and which had six governorship aspirants in attendance.
Remarkably, however, a day or two after the celebrated Christmas party, Obaseki, who had championed the move two years earlier to suspend Orbih from the PDP, visited the National Vice-Chairman, bringing to a climax the move towards unity.
In a surprise move by Governor Obaseki, who was accompanied on the visit by his Chief of Staff, Dr Osaigbovo Iyoha; the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor; members of the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA); state commissioners and top government functionaries, the governor said the objective of the meeting was to reach out to stakeholders and other citizens of the state in the spirit of Christmas.
Obaseki said: “Edo is one united indivisible entity with groups that need to look out for each other’s good and take actions to forestall and strengthen our unity.
”We are one group and we share strong values. Our values should keep us together. As the governor of Edo State, it is important for me to reach out to our citizens to continue to contribute to the progress and development of Edo State.
”Clearly you can’t talk about the politics of Nigeria and PDP without talking about the role played by the PDP National Vice Chairman, South-South, Chief Dan Orbih.
“This is the time for peace and love as we are going round to meet our people because this year has been a very difficult time for us. Before politics, let us talk to our people as politics will come at the back of it all.”
Decrying the poor state of Benin-Auchi Road and the continued failure of the Federal Government to fix the roads in the state, Obaseki said: “I have travelled on the Benin-Auchi Road. Seeing the state of the road, I just felt like crying. I am just imagining what will happen in the next rainy season.”
Two days before Obaseki’s visit, Orbih had held a Christmas party, with all six PDP aspirants for the Edo State governorship ticket in attendance. It was an unprecedented show of unity
The show of factionalism which had dominated the previous ones was totally put away as all shades of opinion in the PDP converged on Orbih’s country home for the festivity. To reinforce unity on this occasion were traditional dance troupes from the three senatorial districts. That was perhaps symbolic of the unifying role Orbih has come to play in the Edo chapter of the PDP.
The festivity had, in the past, been an opportunity for Orbih to show his gratitude to God and appreciate his political base with gifts and festivity, given his position as a businessman and political leader.
The presence of all six governorship aspirants, including Dr Asue Ighodalo, the man that has generally been touted as Obaseki’s protégée, was well noted.
Other governorship aspirants at the occasion were Edo State deputy governor, Rt Hon Philip Shaibu; Hon Omoregie Ogbiede-Ihama; a former state Chairman of APC, Mr Anselm Ojezua; a former president of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Dr Felix Akhabue and Prophet Balogun.
They joined other party officials and PDP bigwigs that included the majority of party executives in the state who have sided with Orbih against Obaseki.
Others in attendance include one-time Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Mike Oghiadhome, who served as deputy governor between 1999 and 2007. He paid compliments to Orbih.
Speaking at the event, Orbih said: “My joy knows no bounds seeing all our aspirants for the governorship ticket present here.”
Orbih then took the opportunity to express the party’s displeasure with what he described as the harsh policies of Governor Godwin Obaseki and with it, the decision to banish punitive music during the ensuing campaign.
“Let me use this opportunity of this Christmas party to pronounce as the chairman of the PDP south-south and I hereby pronounce that in our campaigns either before the ticket or after you have been given the ticket, I hereby ban all punitive music in Edo State.
“In the last election, there was one song that crossed my heart. Edo must move forward, but the governor was in love with one particular song, ‘Pepper them o. Pepper them o.’
“Today, I have banned all such music in the PDP campaign because that kind of music is punitive. Little did we know that we were going to be peppered. Have you not been pepper sprayed?”
“Do you want to continue to be peppered?”
The response to Orbih’s speech was a resounding “No” that left Ighodalo quite uncomfortable.
Political analysts and watchers of political developments in Edo State believe the new found love between Governor Obaseki and Orbih will favour the candidature of Ighodalo in the forthcoming party’s primary and governorship election proper.
Obaseki has been openly supportive of Ighodalo’s aspiration to become the next governor of the state and with Orbih on their side, many believe that the former banking chief will easily pick the PDP governorship ticket.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
