The infighting in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State took a turn for the worse as Governor Godwin Obaseki and his River State counterpart, Nyesom Wike engaged in verbal war PATRICK OCHOGA, writes.
Written By Patrick Ochoga
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and his River State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, both members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and from the South/South geo-political zone had enjoyed a harmonious political relationship. This was largely due to the role many believed Wike played in the re-election of Obaseki in the 2020 governorship election in Edo State.
Wike’s intimidating influence and control of the PDP drew Obaseki’s attention to him after he, (Obaseki) was denied the APC governorship ticket by the then Adams Oshiomhole’s led APC.
Shortly after Obaseki’s victory in September 2020, a crisis over how sharing of party and political positions hit the PDP. Obaseki muted the idea to infuse members of the APC who defected with him into the APC. These members hitherto were loyalists of Oshiomhole who fought alongside the governor to ensure his victory.
Their expectation, having won the election, was however dashed when the real ‘owners’ or legacy members of PDP under the control of the South/South Vice Chairman of PDP, Chief Dani Orbih refused governor’s move to integrate the former APC members into the party structure under what the governor termed ‘harmonisation’.
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The hard posture of the Dan Orbih’s led PDP set the stage for the open inter-party war in the state as the legacy group insisted on holding on to the party’s soul.
Obaseki’s loyalists from the APC mounted pressure on the governor to either take the bull by the horns and ensure they are properly accepted as core members and stakeholders in the PDP or they may have no other choice than to seek another political platform to further their collective and individual political ambition.
A staunch Obaseki supporter and former political adviser to ex governor Adams Oshiomhole, Hon Charles Idahosa, had described those of them who had defected with Obaseki into the PDP as ‘Political herdsmen’ while describing their present situation in the state politics.
The tension in the party led to speculation that the governor and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, are poised to dump PDP. But the governor, last week, at an expanded caucus meeting of the PDP, while debunking the rumor in state, gave a stern warning to those he described as detractors in the party to either subscribe to his leadership of the party or be shown the way out.
He specifically accused Orbih, a Wike ally, of fueling division and disharmony in the party.
Obaseki at the caucus meeting declared, “I can’t 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.”
He stated that the forthcoming local government election in the state will set the template for next year’s national and legislative elections and urged party members to reflect on the elections and work in unity to ensure victory in the polls.
“I heard that Chief Dan Orbih went around, saying there is no harmonisation 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.”
He also noted that over 539,000 members have been registered in the ongoing e-registration exercise.
Obaseki’s deputy, Shaibu, at last week’s rally organised to honour PDP national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, last week, gave conditions to the party leadership on which they will remain in the PDP.
Shaibu declared that if the impunity in the PDP continues and the “soldiers” of Obaseki decide to defect to another political party, he (Obaseki) will have no choice, but to join them, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Although Shaibu admitted that Edo is a strong PDP state, he said “
“People are saying Governor Obaseki will not leave PDP. Governor Obaseki will only remain in PDP, when he sees his soldiers (teeming supporters) remaining in PDP. With the way we are being treated now, if all of us decide to leave PDP, Governor Obaseki will follow us. Mr. Chairman sir, we are angry and we need you to solve the problems.
“We will support you (Ayu) and continue to pray for you, but sir, you have to help us solve the problems, because when you solve the problems of Edo State, you have solved the problems of Nigeria and PDP will be in Abuja in 2023.”
PDP’s national chairman, in his remarks, however, gave an assurance that Edo PDP’s crisis would soon be resolved.
Ayu said: “We lost Edo State because of infighting and division. Some PDP members in Edo State were in Chief Tony Anenih’s camp, while others were in Igbinedion’s camp. The same history is repeating itself. We know that Edo is a PDP state, but you were deceived by APC with propaganda. Adams Oshiomhole fought this able and young governor (Obaseki). Where is APC in Edo State today? Is it not gone? Because they did not learn from the mistakes of PDP. We thank them so much, for being poor students of history. They lost this great man (Obaseki) to us (PDP). This my in-law (Obaseki) is not going anywhere. We have captured him. Through him, we are going to reunite the people of Edo State.”
Wike’s Outburst Against Obaseki.
It was gathered that Wike’s reluctance to call Orbih, a close ally and friend, to order over Obaseki harmonisation is the crux of the recent face-off between Wike and Obaseki.
Irked by Shaibu’s comments about PDP, Wike, last weekend, lambasted the deputy governor over what he perceived as threatening the party, describing him as an ingrate.
Wike said the PDP gave Obaseki and Shaibu its ticket when they were denied the same by APC during the 2020 state election.
“Threatening the party that there are alternatives to PDP. This is the same people that were kneeling down to beg for us to give them the umbrella, today you have the effrontery to threaten the PDP. Such a shame. These are the same people when they were denied tickets under APC, they were running helter-skelter begging everybody to give them an umbrella and we gave them an umbrella,” he said.
Wike said he has written to the leadership of the party at the national level to discipline the deputy governor for the comment.
“I have written to the national chairman of the party that if they don’t constitute a disciplinary committee against the deputy governor, I will invoke the sanctions of the party and will make sure they must discipline that deputy governor,” Wike said.
Wike, speaking angrily, vowed not to allow Shaibu to rest politically.
Miffed by Wike’s outburst, Obaseki lambasted his colleague for not being too overbearing in the party adding that the crisis was related to Wike’s ambition to have delegates from the state ahead of the party’s 2023 presidential primaries.
Obaseki said, “If Governor Wike was one who is wont to show respect and courtesy to his colleague-governors, he would have ordinarily reached out to me to express his concerns about the views made by my deputy governor, rather than embarking on this unwarranted public onslaught.
He said Wike should have taken a cue from the manner in which Ayu responded to the deputy governor’s remarks, “as a conscientious leader who is able to show empathy and consideration.”
He reiterated his complaint over Orbih’s frustration of the harmonisation process in the party.
Wike, not being one to shy away from a fight, replied Obaseki describing him as an ingrate. He also apologised to former governor Adams Oshiomhole over the events that led to Obaaeki’s defection from APC.
The last may not have been heard of the open war between the ‘real owners’ of the Edo State PDP under the leadership of Orbih in the epic battle for the soul of the party in the state.
