…As Party Begins Reconciliation Process, Ogbeide-Ihama May Discontinue Litigation
Leaders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), in the three senatorial districts in Edo State, have thrown their political weights behind the candidacy of the incumbent governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki, seeking reelection under PDP.
A statement signed by all senatorial leaders including former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Chief Tom Ikimi, Senator Urhoghide, HE Ogiadome among others, running as advertorial in some local and national television stations, urged chieftains, supporters and party faithfuls to jointly work hard for the landslide victory of Obaseki through delegates at the party primaries scheduled to hold on Thursday, June 25, 2020.
In the same vein, the National leadership of the party, comprising PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and all members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), as well as critical stakeholders gave credence and approval to the waiver granted Obaseki, in line with the powers vested in NEC by the party’s constitution.
NEC appealed to Hon Ogbeide-Ihama Omoregie, Kenneth Imasuagbon and other aggrieved aspirants to discontinue all legal actions and cooperate with internal reconciliation structures put in place at national and state levels of the party.
Other critical stakeholders of the party, outside Edo State, who applauded the waiver granted Obaseki included; the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, HE Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, South-South PDP Governors Forum Chairman, HE Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, HE Udom Emmanuel and Rivers State Governor, HE Barrister Weysom Wike and others.
As it is today, PDP NEC and leaders of the party in Edo State, have concluded plans to ensure that Governor Obaseki grabs the party’s governorship ticket on Thursday througj a free, fair and transparent process, so as to fly the party’s flag in the September governorship election in the State.
In a related development, a High Court in Ekpoma, has debarred Obaseki and subsequently issued an order permitting him to participate as an aspirant who was duly granted waiver by PDP NEC and leaders of the party in Edo State, in accordance with the party constitution.
Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has denied restraining Obaseki from participating in the Edo PDP primaries on Thursday.
The Court, in its wisdom, granted the Plaintiff, Hon Ogbeide-Ihama Omoregie an order for substituted service and accelerated hearing.
The coast is therefore clear for Obaseki to emerge as the PDP candidate at the end of the exercise on Thursday, as can be seen from the overwhelming endorsements in favour of the incumbent governor of Edo State.
Ogbeide-Ihama Omoregie and Kenneth Imasuagbon, are respected chieftains of PDP in the state; but it appears that their political popularity cannot match the widespread support enjoyed by Obaseki in the party; coupled with majority of APC members loyal to their governor in Edo, reflected in the massive defection from APC to PDP, as a result of Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu crossover on Friday.
Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu of the APC, on the other side of the divide, has been described by political analysts as a type of Chief Great Ogboru, in Delta State. They say both gladiators are well known for political carpet crossing with insignificant electoral value due to inconsistencies and lack of political ideology in the pursuit of their governorship ambitions.
Another school of thought is of the opinion that Osagie Ize Iyamu, is widely considered to be a desperate political actor who in time past lost integrity and sense of humour due largely to his unstable character as revealed in his disturbing political reunion with Adams Oshiomhole and the APC.
It will be recalled in 2016, Oshiomhole described Ize Iyamu, as a treasury looter and unscrupulous individual that should never be trusted with state affairs and business of government in Edo State.
This serious allegation was never retracted by Oshiomole before the duo formed a recent political partnership, projecting Osagie for the office of governor of Edo State, under the APC, a party which claimed to be fighting corruption in Nigeria.
