Edo: Concerns As 9 PDP Governorship Aspirants Boycott Delegates’ Election

The election (congress) conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday in Edo State witnessed an abysmally low turnout of aspirants.

Naija News reports the congress was conducted to pick delegates that will participate in the party’s February 22 governorship primary.

However, nine out of the 11 PDP governorship aspirants boycotted the exercise.

Also, as earlier reported by this platform, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, who was the chairman of the three-man committee in charge of the Edo delegates election, withdrew from the exercise.

Following Makinde’s withdrawal, the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, who is the deputy chairman of the committee, presided over the exercise.

The nine governorship aspirants who boycotted the delegates’ election, were Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Anselm Ojezua, Felix Akhabue, Martin Uhomoibhi, Hafia Hadizat Umoru, Omosede Igbinedion, Dr Earl Osaro Onaiwu and Arthur Esene.

The nine aspirants complained about the composition of the committee conducting the delegates’ election and also wrote a protest letter to the PDP acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.

The party’s National Vice Chairman, South-South, Chief Dan Orbih, was also copied in the letter of protest.

Obaseki Reacts To Makinde’s Withdrawl

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has reacted as the Oyo state Governor and the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s committee for ward congresses in Edo State, Seyi Makinde relinquished his chairmanship position in the buildup to the party’s governorship primary election.

Speaking on Sunday, Obaseki said that the resignation was unfortunate.

The six-person committee was tasked with holding congresses in each of Edo State’s 192 wards to choose delegates who would nominate the party’s candidate for governor on September 21.

The committee also includes Dr. Agbu Kefas, the governor of Taraba State, Hon. Marie Ebikan, Hon. Pascal Adigwe, and the governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, who serves as vice chairman.

Makinde’s resignation was conditioned on the presence of purported irregularities in the list of electoral officers nominated.

He further said that the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly was leading the team of Electoral Officers in his own Local Government Area, Owan West.

However, Obaseki, speaking to the press following the election of three delegates at the PDP Ward Congress in Ward 4 of Oredo Local Government Area, stated that Makinde’s resignation from the exercise had no bearing on the authenticity of the process.