Accept my leadership or leave the party, Obaseki tells Edo PDP members

Godwin Obaseki, Edo state governor, says he will not defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding that members unhappy with his leadership of the party can leave.

The governor said the constitution of the party bequeaths him with the leadership of the party in the state.

Obaseki spoke on Sunday during an expanded caucus meeting of leaders and members of the PDP in Edo.

“I can’t leave PDP. I will not decamp from the PDP; we will always win any election,” he said.

“PDP won in the last election and we will continue to win all elections in the state and country; nothing will stop us as a party.”

The governor said the forthcoming local government election in the state will set the template for next year’s national and legislative elections.

He said: “There is no division in Edo PDP. Let the party be open to accommodate others. PDP is democratic. The hallmark of democracy is ensuring that the majority has their way, as the minority can’t dictate to the people.

“I heard that Chief Dan Orbih went around, saying there is no harmonization in Edo PDP. This is really irresponsible to say and an insult to members of the party, as the party has truly harmonised in the state.

“PDP in Edo State is harmonised because before we made any appointments in any ward, we made sure the party at that level was harmonised. We are gathered here now as election timetable is out; harmonisation has been done, appointments made and we are ready to win any election before us.”

Obaseki said Iyorchia Ayu, PDP national chairman, will visit the state on Thursday, March 10, urging party leaders to bring along five percent of newly registered members to welcome the party chair.

“Politics is not about fighting but dialogue and discussion. I urge us to collaborate and unite to move the party and state forward,” he added.

The governor said over 539,000 members have been registered in the ongoing e-registration exercise.

He said: “These numbers are not fabricated as we have the data, pictures, emails and phone numbers of members of the party we have registered so far. You have broken records as this is the bastion of PDP in Nigeria. We have changed the face of politics in Nigeria.

“I didn’t give leaders any resources to mobilize them but rather they challenged themselves and achieved the goal to register more members in the state.

“Some people went around saying people should not join our party. No true party man will do that. Those that engaged in that are not true members of the party and don’t belong to Edo PDP. If not, they will not push people away from the party.

“Our focus now is on how to engage our members, making them participate in the policy-making process of the party. We don’t need to wait for an election before we act.”