Thursday, August 15, 2024

Less than 48 hours after the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed confidence that the party’s governorship campaign in Edo State was gathering momentum, the exit of former federal lawmaker, Omosede Igbinedion, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, has rattled PDP.

On Sunday, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, said the party’s candidate for the September 21 governorship election ‘’is coasting home to victory and that his APC opponent is nowhere to be found in the electoral contest.’’

However, according to sources close to the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, there is now major cause for concern because the unexpected exit of Omosede, daughter of the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Sir Gbriel Igbinedion, who once represented Ovia Federal Constituency, also implies a shift by the influential Igbinedion family, which once produced a governor for Edo State, to support Monday Okpebholo, APC’s governorship candidate.

“Many of our (PDP) people felt very surprised and displeased to see Omosede at APC’s launch of its Edo South Senatorial Zone governorship campaign rally at Ekehuan campus of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) on Tuesday. The lingering issues the governor has with the palace (of Oba of Benin), losing the support of the Igbinedion family, add to PDP’s challenges, but we still hope our governorship candidate Asue Ighodalo’s capacity can win over voters in Edo State,” the sources said.

A copy of Igbinedion’s letter of resignation from the PDP dated August 11, 2024 was forwarded to the party’s Acting National Chairman, Amb. Ilyas Damagum and the PDP National Working Committee in Abuja.

She addressed the letter to Mr. Lucky Edosomwan, PDP chairman in Okada West Ward 1 in Ovia North East Local Government, whom some party members considered as a staunch supporter of Omosede, whose father, Chief Igbinedion, commands great influence in the area and beyond.

Omosede’s letter was also copied to the PDP Chairman in Ovia North-East Local Government, Chairman of PDP in Edo State and PDP Working Committee in Edo State.

Along with embattled Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shuaibu, Omosede, who represented her constituency as a member of the House of Representatives between 2015 and 2019, was one of the disappointed PDP governorship aspirants, who protested the allegedly skewed conduct of the ward and local government delegates’ elections that preceded the party’s governorship primary.

In her resignation letter, she attributed her exit from PDP to lack of equity, fairness, justice, and the marginalisation of long-standing party members, saying it was curious that founding members, who Governor Obaseki met in the party, were fenced off from the governorship ticket and deputy governorship positions.

She said: “It was a pleasure to have been elected to the House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019 on the platform of the PDP, to represent the good people of Ovia North-East and Ovia South-West federal constituencies.

“Based on the principles of equity, fairness and justice, which I hold dearly and which no longer prevail within our party in the state, coupled with the marginalisation of the aboriginal PDP members, who have worked assiduously to sustain this party before its infiltration, despite complaints to the state and national levels, I no longer have the drive, conviction, sentiment and commitment towards a party that I once called my own.

“There is no indigenous PDP member on the Edo governorship ballot today, either as the standard-bearer or running mate, which raises the question: ‘Who exactly are we working for?’

“My overriding interest and commitment to the people of Ovia, whom I hold so dearly and who have always stood by me, supersede my personal interest, as well as any other interest.

“It is on this note that I have decided to tender my resignation from the PDP, effective from today, August 11, 2024.”