Crisis hits Edo PDP as Exco members are divided over purported moves to suspend chairman

There is a sharp division in the leadership of the Edo State of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over moves to suspend the party Chairman, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi.

Aziegbemi was reported to have been asked by the state executive Committee to step aside to enable investigation into sundry allegations against him.

One of his purported sins was that he raised the alarm to the National secretariat of the PDP about the plan by the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to dissolve the validly elected excos of the party to pave the way for harmonisation of structures.

He was also accused of receiving some monies from the State Governor I the build up to the governorship poll last year which he did not declare to the exco.

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State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chris Nehikhare was reported to have hinted about the suspension of the State Party Chairman.

But in a swift riposte, the State Financial Secretary, Fidelis Ehis Igenebale, dismissed the report, describing it as false.

Igenebale, in a press release, dated Wednesday, June 2, 2021, entitled: “Re: Edo PDP Chairman Suspended” said as follows:

“I wish to inform the general public that, the purported suspension of the Edo State PDP Chairman as released by the State Publicity Secretary Mr. Chris Osa Nehikhare is false and an imagination of those who want to pull down the party to fight with the Governor.

“We indeed had a meeting at the State Secretariat yesterday being June 1, 2021, when the State Chairman was insisting that, there is a need to withdraw the letter we sent to the National Chairman about our resolution against the dissolution of the Edo PDP structure wherein he has discussed with the National Chairman as requested by the SWC. And amongst those who insisted that the letter should not be withdrawn came up with an allegation that the Chairman had collected money from the Governor. The Chairman noted that he did not collect any money from the Governor to withdraw any letter but the need to ensure there is peace in the party is paramount.

“In the spirit of transparency, the EXCO decided to set up a four-man committee with the State Legal Adviser who came up with the allegation as Chairman, the State Woman Leader, the State Auditor, and the State Financial Secretary on our nomination.

“It is shocking to read from the State Publicity Secretary that, we have agreed to suspend the State Chairman. This is not true of what happened in the meeting yesterday.

“Anyone in doubt can call other members of the State working committee who were in the meeting to confirm the true story.

“I want to state categorically clear that, apart from the fact that, the SWC has no power to suspend or discipline the State Chairman, There were no suspensions whatsoever but more of a heated argument against the Chairman for insisting and appealing that, the letter to the National Chairman should be withdrawn.

“Unfortunately, those who insisted that a letter must be sent to National Chairman when the State Chairman reported about the meeting held in the Government House are the same set of people parading the moves to pull down the same house they want the State Chairman to protect.

“The Chairman presided over the meeting wherein, we were nominated to serve in that committee. I am also surprised that, the Publicity Secretary is just making the release today and even excluded my name from the Committee.”