National Daily

Reconciliation crisis hits in Edo PDP

The crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), reached its zenith a fortnight ago when the two warring factions, one controlled by the state Governor, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, and the other under the firm control of the former Chairman of the party's Board of Trustees (BOT), Chief Tony Annenih, almost clashed at the PDP National Headquarters, WADATA Plaza, Wuse zone 5, Abuja, during a meeting convened by the party's National Chairman, Prince Vincent Eze Ogbulafor. The meeting which was aimed at finding a lasting solution to the crisis in the state branch of the party ended up almost in fiasco, with the politicians making vituperative remarks about one another, reports CHUKS EHIRIM, Abuja.

TEMPERS rose, especially from Osunbor's camp, led by Dr. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, a former two-time Governor of defunct Bendel State, following the pronouncement of the decision of the party's National Working Committee (NWC), on the lingering crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, Edo State.

In the decision read out to both camps, by the PDP National Deputy Chairman, Dr Bellow Haliru Muhammed, the spoils of office in the state were shared into two equal portions with one part going to the Governor's faction while the Anenih camp would keep the other half of the booty.

For instance, Ogbulafor and his fellow party leaders in Abuja had zoned offices in the Edo State Executive of the party thus, State Chairman, Treasurer, Publicity secretary, financial secretary, woman leader, Vice Chairman (Edo South) Vice Chairman (Edo North) Assistant Secretary (Edo Central). Assistant publicity Secretary, one Assistant Organizing Secretary and two elected members, one of who must be a woman to go to Anenih's group.

On the other hand, the Governors' camp was given the following positions: Deputy State Chairman, State Secretary, State Organizing Secretary, Youth leader, Auditor, Legal Adviser, Vice Chairman (Edo Central), two Assistant Secretaries, State Assistant Financial Secretary, one State Assistant Organizing Secretary (Edo North), Assistant Legal Adviser and two elected members one of who must be woman.

In the same vein, the 18 local government councils in Edo State were divided into two, with each of the factions asked to take control of nine council areas.

For Anenih's group, the following local government councils fell under its control, Esan North-East, Esan Central, Esan South-East, Etasko West, Owan West, Akoko Edo, Oredo, Orhiomwon and Ikpoba Okha.
Osunbor's group had the following council areas ceded to it, Esan West, Igueben, Owan East, Etsako Central, Etsako East, Egor, Uhunmwode, Ovia North-East and Ovia South-West.

Even before Mohammed could finish reading out his speech, it was obvious, to both journalists and other observers at the conference hall venue of the meeting that what was being said was palatable only to the ears of Annenih's cronies.
For Osunbor's men, Ogbulafor had, with a stroke of his pen, made them outsiders in a party they were original landlords and stakeholders.

Chief Francis Iyasere, who was said to be the party's state publicity secretary, before crisis erupted, could not hold himself while Ogbulafor and Mohammed spoke. He kept interjecting in a very rude manner which depicted his high level of anger and discontent with the drama that was playing out.

Ogbulafor himself knew that the manner he and his colleagues in the NWC chose to handle the crisis was going to give way to a volcanic eruption. He suddenly resorted to adopting the method of a theologian. “In politics, you don't win it all. You learn that in politics there is God. Edo has great sons that you don't need to run them down. It will please us that at the end of this meeting today, peace will return to the party in Edo State. In the last two days, I have been very nervous because of the problem in the state”, he said.

But rather than help to calm frayed nerves, Ogbulafor's speech at the occasion, raised the adrenalin level in Osunbor's followers.
Ogbemudia unequivocally told the PDP National Chairman that what he said was not acceptable to them. “Mr. Chairman, members of the National Working Committee, we have just seen and heard, read to us, the script which we have heard many, many times before now. In Benin City, if you phone somebody now, he will read to you, that very thing that has been kept as secret for a very long time. In any case, we want to tell you, Mr. Chairman, that we totally reject, I repeat, reject everything that has been said here. If you want to do election, or contest, come and meet us in Benin City”, he declared.

He amplified this position when he spoke to journalists shortly after the meeting, accusing the party's National leadership of plotting to kill the PDP in Edo State. “The party headquarters here wants to brake up the party in Benin City. Since they don't want PDP to continue in Edo State, good luck to them”, he stated.

A female supporter standing beside Ogbemudia, made it clear that the group would explore the alternative option of leaving the PDP for another party.

Osunbor's people were not the only ones who left Wadata Plaza in grief that Tuesday afternoon.
Mike Akhigbe, a retired Rear Admiral and former Chief of General Staff, also felt disappointed.

Speaking as a neutral person at the reconciliation meeting Akhigbe, said that the members of the PDP in Edo State have disgraced themselves. He expressed that “In our tradition, we don't decide our matter outside. You have seen what you have done to yourselves. I don't belong to any of the factions. Therefore, let us go home and settle ourselves”. He added, “As Yoruba people say, Yoruba Ronu. Edo people, think. I said it; … I have carefully avoided being a member of any faction, from the time it was Anenih vs. Igbinedion”.

Akhigbe admonished the national leadership of PDP to adhere to the rules guiding party activities. He said: “If you conducted election, obey the rule of law. If you don't do that, you are creating troubles for yourself. If you feel you want to cancel it, cancel it. If you cancel it, let them go back to the field and test who is stronger”.

Akhigbe declared: “The Governor can not select my chairman for me because he selects his local government chairman and his ward. Anenih cannot come and select my chairman for me, he controls his local government and his ward Anenih cannot come and select my chairman for me in my local government because I have to select my own chairman. That is the mandate my people gave to me”.

He condemned the formula adopted by the NWC in resolving the crisis but acknowledged the difficult task in handling such matter. Akhigbe reiterated that the Edo people are the people who have disgraced themselves and that is why they were the way they found themselves. He advocated that the PDP leadership should cancel the election let them go back to the field and know who actually owns the land and controls the politics of Edo State.

But the decision of the party's National Leadership was acceptable to Anenih's camp which pledged to work for peace. Dr. Vincent Ogwu, the group's spokesman, berated the Governor's faction, alleging that people who populate that camp are profiting from the crisis. Dr. Vincent Ogwu, who spoke on behalf of the Anenih group, said his side is ready for peace.

He recalled that when they were coming there they were told that they were to have seven representatives in a group, expressing surprise how the decision was altered. Ogwu emphasized: “We are in the party and we have been trying to make peace and we are still ready to make peace. I do not believe in what the previous speakers have said that they totally reject what you have read out. I must say that because of the crisis, so many are living big and those who had not been in the party before, are bringing themselves out as leaders of the party. If the party must survive, we must look for people who desire to build it but if the party must not survive, then we go on the hawkish path”.

He gave the assurance that they are going to give peace a chance. “I will let you know that we are not afraid of elections in the wards or local government. Those to be afraid are people who went into their offices and wrote names of people and say they are members of the party and members of the executive”. Ogwu declared.

Well, the fear of political pundits is that the seeming irreconcilable crisis in Edo State Chapter of the PDP will certainly be a major gain to the Action Congress (AC) and its Governorship candidate in the state, Adams Oshiomhole, who may have started harvesting bountifully, from the disagreements within the PDP fold in the state.

The emerging popular perception has been that there is rising phobia that Governor Osunbor and his cronies are gradually losing steam in the Edo State politics and may not match the political grandeur of Anenih who is known to have played pivot roles in the political emergence and relevance of both Ogbemudia, and Osunbor in Edo politics.

The greater danger entrapping Osunbor is widely believed to be his affiliation to former President Olusegun Obasanjo who is perceived to have become an eyesore to the Nigerian people and notable stakeholders in the Nigerian project. Osunbor is believed to be facing the risk of falling with the Obasanjo political cabal across the country. The popular belief has been that the governor is battling from a depleting political frontier in the country and may not contend with the wind of change currently blowing across the country.