…’collected membership card at Ward 4, Oredo LGA’
Fresh facts emerged, on Thursday, on how embattled Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, defected to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, some days ago, in his ward.
Our correspondent learnt that Obaseki had long secretly plotted and eventually secured the membership of the PDP at his Ward 4 constituency in Oredo Local Government Area of the state, where he was issued the opposition party’s membership card.
The governor, it was gathered, had struck a secret deal with the PDP leadership in his ward to keep the development under wraps until the time was right.
Obaseki, last weekend, was said to have summoned an emergency meeting of his appointees and the executives of the Anselm Ojezua-led faction of the APC in Edo State to inform them of his move.
Early last week, the governor, it was learnt, had sent an unsigned letter of endorsement and N10,000 each to APC ward executives across the 192 wards for them to sign and return with the motive of changing the cover page to their letter of resignation from the APC and defection notification to the PDP.
Factional Chairman of the Edo APC, Anselm Ojezua; leader of the Obaseki Shaibu Movement, Charles Idahosa; Sen. Domingo Obende, Ehigie Uzamere and other party leaders were said to have been at the forefront of this move by the governor to carry the ward executives along to his new party.
But the PDP in Edo State had said Obaseki was not yet a member of the main opposition party.
Chairman of the party in the state, Hon. Tony Eziegbemi, said the Edo governor had yet to defect to the party.
But he said the party would welcome Obaseki if he decides to join the PDP after his resignation from APC.
Aziegbemi added that Obaseki would not be able to participate in the party’s primary except the National Working Committee of the PDP grants him a waiver.
He maintained that the Edo governor would not get automatic ticket, even, if granted waiver by the NWC, stressing that he would have to battle it out with other governorship aspirants in the party.
The APC screening committee had, last Friday, disqualified Governor Obaseki, and two others from participating in the state governorship primary election.
The screening committee said Obaseki was not fit to qualify for the June 22 APC governorship primaries in the state on the grounds that his Higher School Certificate and NYSC certificate were defective.
The committee announced the incumbent Edo governor’s disqualification, when it presented its report to the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee in Abuja.
The two other aspirants disqualified by the committee from participating in the Edo APC governorship primary election are Chris Ogiemwonyi and Mathew Iduoriyekenwen.
Obaseki has been at loggerheads with his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who was also the National Chairman of APC, until the Appeal Court judgment, which upheld his suspension.
The feud between Obaseki and Oshiomhole polarised the party in Edo State.
The faction loyal to Oshiomhole endorsed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as its consensus candidate for the June 22 governorship primary election of the party.
The feud between the duo has also polarised other organs of the ruling party.
Obaseki had asked Oshiomhole to recuse himself from the nomination processes of the primary but the party did not act on his request.
