The leadership of Edo State Peoples Democratic Party has ruled out what it termed preferential treatment for embattled governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, if he decamps to the ruling party.
The party said: “Even if Obaseki is coming to PDP, with his failure and rejection by his people, he won’t have preferential treatment.”
State Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, made the clarification on the heels of rumour making round that governor Obaseki has finalised plan with the PDP leaders in the South-south and its National secretariat with the aim of decamping to the opposition party.
Governor Obaseki has been at logger head with the Edo Peoples Movement (EPM), a pressure group in the APC that has vowed to stop him from securing the party’s ticket for a second term.
Besides, the Edo governor’s rift with his predecessor and National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has deepened after he ‘secretly inaugurated’ nine out of the 24 members-elect of the State House of Assembly.
The inaugurated nine are believed to be the governor’s loyalists; while 14 other members-elect are believed to be loyal to Oshiomhole.
The PDP chairman had said, “over the past few years, we have shown a difference between the PDP and APC. And I believed that many members of the APC have one time or the other … haven’t seen the difference between us and their party and have since joined the PDP.
“And there is no doubt that there are many others who out of self conviction will join us in future. But to be specific, I want to tell you very clearly… whether he (Obaseki) is willing to join us or not he is the one you should ask the question.
“I don’t want us to start jumping bridge when we have not reached the river.
“As at today, Governor Obaseki is a member of APC. Agreed, they have their internal quarrel, but he haven’t inform Edo PDP that he has the intention of joining us.
“It is clear that Edo People can now see for themselves that a party that cannot manage 24 people in the state House of Assembly has no business in managing Edo State.
“And it is time for Edo people to embrace the PDP so that we can give the people of the state, the government they deserved.
“We are hearing that a list of commissioners being submitted to the House that is made up of nine or 10 members and where majority of the members are yet to take their seats in the House.
”Let APC realize that Edo State is bigger than the membership that constitute the numbers of their political party,” Orbih said.
Last week, Obaseki regretted that some politicians who had in time past joined in the struggle to entrench ‘Let the people lead’ mantra in Edo state now seek to work against the people.
‘Let the people lead’ was a major campaign slogan against opposition parties during Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s tenure which according to him, implies that the power resides on the people to elect whoever they want.
