Less than six months after his victory and defection to the PDP, Edo Gov. Godwin Obaseki has begun the second battle of his political life, and this one may be messier.
Following his decision to dissolve the state national working committee, and job in his old cronies from the APC, the party’s state executive has drawn the battle line.
In a petition to the PDP National Working Committee, the state working committee demand resignation of Obaseki’s Dep. Gov. Phillip Shuaibu.
Sacrificing Shuiabu was part of the deal when Obaseki hopped in to the PDP after losing the APC ticket.
But the deputy governor has his own plan: to contest as governor in 2024. So Obaseki could find it hard to sacrifice him. That inaction is still pitting the governor against his party.
At a meeting Obaseki convened to marshal out his plan on May 8, the state working committee was exempted. And the party thought that was unacceptable.
Chairman Tony Aziegbemi and Secretary Hillary Otsu, accused him of plotting to dissolve the validly-elected ward, local government and state executives.
“We also condemn totally the convening of the meeting aimed at ambushing Edo State Chairman of PDP (who is constitutionally empowered to call such a meeting) which only three old PDP members, as against ten members from the Obaseki faction that defected from the APC to PDP,” the party stated this after its long deliberation May 10.
The state chairman also condemned the planned dissolution of executive committees in Edo, describing it as ‘sub-judicial’ and an act of contempt of court.
“We will not accept this. Edo people voted for PDP and Obaseki to deliver the dividends of democracy to them, but if Obaseki wants to conduct governance by a triumvirate of the Governor, the Deputy Governor and the SSG, so be it.
“If he wishes to appoint only his friends and former APC colleagues in his cabinet and sundry positions, and leave out the legacy PDP members, so be it.
“We, the PDP leadership, will not accede to any form of harmonisation that has no backing or interpretation in our party’s constitution.”
The state party accused election losers, aspirants as those confusing Obaseki. And among them are party elders like Raymond Dokpesi, Tom Ikimi, and Mike Oghiadome—the three musketeers present at Obaseki’s May 8 meeting.
Since he won re-election, Obaseki hasn’t appointed his cabinet members.
To many, that is the first indication all is not well with the governor in his new party.