Obaseki makes U-turn, begs PDP SWC members over crisis

The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has made a U-turn on his resolve to dissolve the executives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the ward, local government and state levels.

He appealed to the exco members after a meeting with the State Working Committee (SWC) on Thursday, asking them to sheathe their swords and give peace a chance.

The planned dissolution was meant to accommodate the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders who defected with Obaseki to the PDP on June 19 last year, which was vehemently rejected by the Dr Tony Aziegbemi-led SWC.

Obaseki had allegedly met with PDP chieftains including Chief Tom Ikimi, Dr Raymond Dokpesi and Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, during which they discussed the dissolution plan.

“We condemn totally the convening of the meeting aimed at ambushing Edo State Chairman of PDP, who is constitutionally empowered to call such a meeting, where only three old PDP members, Dokpesi, Ikimi and Oghiadomhe attended, as against ten members from the Obaseki faction that decamped from the APC to PDP,” the SWC had said, while expressing its anger at the clandestine moves to dissolve the Committee.

Read also: Edo PDP drags Obaseki to national leadership over Governor’s plan to dissolve party executives

While meeting with the SWC members at the Government House in Benin on Wednesday, Obaseki had told the members of his plans to dissolve the committee following a protest letter they sent to the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, which was said to have gotten the governor angry.

The SWC, in the May 10 protest letter, had called for the resignation of the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, as part of the power-sharing arrangements.

The letter, which was part of the resolutions reached by the SWC at an emergency and expanded meeting, also accused Obaseki of plotting to dissolve the validly-elected ward, local government and state executives.

But following the backlash he got from the members, Obaseki held another round of meeting with them the next day and informed the party leaders that he had received many calls from other PDP governors and eminent Nigerians who told him that the crisis in Edo PDP was too early and that he should not be seen as an ingrate.

He then urged the SWC members to bring their suggestions on the way forward to put an end to the brewing crisis.

By Isaac Dachen…

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