Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said he would not broker opposition within the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his quest to reposition and strengthen it.
He said this at an expanded meeting of party leaders, in Benin, on Monday.
According to Governor Obaseki, “There are people who have continued to come and feed you with lies. That is the nature of their politics if there is no confusion they will not eat.
Last year, when we joined you, we started a movement that has never happened in Edo before, not even in our politics. If we go to the election today, we will win by 85 per cent. It means we don’t have meaningful opposition and if this is the situation, we should not create opposition inside.
“I will not leave PDP. I am the leader of PDP and by the grace of God, I will lead PDP well. Anybody that doesn’t want me to lead or want to accept my leadership will leave PDP for me.
“We are here to stay and invest in PDP. I am the governor to join PDP last and was made chairman of our e-registration process so why should I leave the party.
“We came to see PDP as a solid Party, the only true party in this country while others are special purpose vehicles for elections.”
He explained that a handful of persons out of greed were opposed to harmonizing positions to give all party members a sense of belonging hence the contrived crisis within the state chapter.
Earlier, the state chapter of the party ignored a directive by the National Working Committee of the party to stay action on the suspension of the PDP National Vice Chairman (South South), Dan Orbirh and other state party leaders.
The State Working Committee of the party ratified the suspensions of Orbirh, a member of the House of Representatives representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama; State Secretary of Edo State PDP, Hilary Otsu; among others.
The suspensions were ratified by all PDP leaders across the 18 Local Government Areas and the three Senatorial Districts of the State at an enlarged meeting of the leaders held in Benin-City.
A motion for the ratification of the suspension was moved by Mike Nosa-Ehima, a leader of the PDP in Oredo Local Government Area, and was seconded by Sylvanus Eruaga, a leader of the party from Etsako West LGA.