Obaseki: I won’t leave PDP for another party — no matter the pressure

Godwin Obaseki, the Edo state governor, says he has no plan to join another political party.

Obaseki left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the months leading to the 2020 governorship election in Edo state.

The governor won his reelection bid on the platform of the PDP.

Speaking in Benin on Saturday during a banquet to mark the Alaghodaro Summit, the governor said his party affiliation will not alter development plans for the state.

Obaseki said his government is committed to ensuring a progressive and prosperous Edo state.

He said: “No matter the persuasion to join any political party, I will not. I will continue to provide leadership for all Edo people. We don’t need to join another political party to develop Edo state to become a home for all.

“Our goal is to position Edo where it should be, as our state has been created to provide leadership for this country; that is how it has been and will always be.”

The governor said the Alaghodaro Summit is a platform through which his administration will prepare Edo youths for leadership positions.

“Our politics is being driven by data. We will continue to do our best as a government to make life better for our people who trusted us with their votes,” he said.

“In the last five years, we have been in the foundation laying stage for the development of Edo state. That era has passed and now, it’s time to move as fast as possible in developing the state as the challenges and barriers have been taken care of.”

Also speaking, John Oyegun, former national chairman of the APC, praised Obaseki for curbing “irregular migration” in the state.

“Today, our youths are no longer traveling through the Mediterranean Sea as you have curbed the menace of irregular migration. Our youths are now being prepared for the future with the use of technology,” he said.

“When Edo prospers, the nation will prosper; our artifacts are all over the world, our achievements are all over; this is what Alaghodaro is all about.”