PDP Youths Call for Secondus’ Intervention as Fresh Crisis Rocks Party in Edo
POLITICS DIGEST – The PDP Youths for Justice in Edo State have urged National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, to intervene in the crisis rocking the party ahead of the state congresses.
It said alleged plots by the state chairman, Dan Orbih, to impose Senator Odion Ugbesia as his successor, would cause the party to lose in the governorship election.
A statement by the Youth Coordinator, Musa Kadiri, urged Secondus to tackle the crisis at tomorrow’s National Working Committee (NWC) meeting.
According to Kadiri, Ugbesia is not fit to pilot the affairs of Edo PDP. He said the best option to maintain unity after the congresses is for the party to revert to its zoning principles.
He said: “Chief Orbih is attempting to kill Edo PDP after his tenure which is why he is pushing Senator Ugbesia, who achieved nothing as a Senator and cannot lead Edo PDP, to the seat of power.
“The party can zone the chairmanship to Owan axis or Edo South which has not produced the chairman since 1999. We are putting Secondus on notice to save Edo PDP. Any attempt to allow Orbih have his way would put the party in jeopardy.”
The Concerned Youth Forum of Edo PDP, led by Obaruakporo John, also blamed Orbih for the party’s failure to produce the governor in his 12 years as chairman.
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Obaruakporo noted that Edo Central has won all elections for PDP from presidential to House of Assembly since 1999, except in 2019 when the chairman forced the candidates on the party and it resulted in failure.
He said: “But Edo Central has never produced the governor or deputy governor. In all previous elections, the governorship has always been zoned, but now that it’s obviously the turn of Edo Central, the Dan Orbih-led leadership have planned a coup against it by leaving the zoning open to all for contest. This is not happening without some betrayals and traitors from Edo Central collaborating with Orbih to effect his heinous plan.
“Everyone has tried to massage Orbih’s ego to see him through his tenure without brewing crisis so that the party can be stable before the election. But he is seeing the calmness as a sign of weakness hence, he is still trying to force his choice candidate on the part.
“Leaders in Edo South have consistently maintained that they would love to see an Esan man from Edo Central become governor, but for the traitors in Esanland who betray the mandate of Esanland in demanding for the governorship slot.
“Today we are all looking forward to PDP producing a winning chairman in the congress and saying goodbye to a chairman that was never able to bring PDP back to the Government House. PDP must get it right without allowing Orbih to force failure of the past into the incoming executive.”
But Ugbesia said nothing would stop his ambition. He added that the agitating youths ‘need prayers’.