…May act otherwise if…

 

From Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

Leaders and stakeholders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo South Senatorial District on the platform of PDP Legacy group, yesterday, demanded fair treatment from Governor Godwin Obaseki before taking a position on the September 21st governorship in the state.

Rising from a meeting held at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre, Benin City, the Edo South PDP Legacy group resolved that it would no longer fold it’s hands and allow Governor Obaseki to short-change the group the way he did in 2020, when he appointed the deputy governor, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), and the Chief of Staff (CoS) from the group which followed him (Obaseki) from the APC to the PDP.

The group while lamenting that it had been badly treated in the last four years by the Governor Obaseki-led administration, reiterated that it remained the aborigine PDP in the district, pointing out that the governor failed to keep any of the promises he made to them when he came begging for the governorship ticket of the party in 2020 after he was chased out of the All Progresives Congress (APC), the party on which platform he won the 2016 gubernatorial election.

Besides, the Legacy Group said Governor Obaseki had not demonstrated gratitude for what it did to help him in 2020 as the governor cornered all offices without conceding one to its members, but however gave the governor time to come and tell the group what was in it in the coming dispensation before it would take a decision on the election.

Addressing the crowd, Ogbeide-Ihama, former House of Representatives member for Oredo Federal Constituency, traced how in June 2020, he was prevailed upon by the leaders of the district from across all strata of life to step down his governorship ambition to save the governor from political disgrace and personal humiliation when he was disqualified by the APC.

“You were all there at the stadium when in June 2020, I was prevailed upon to step down from the governorship race and save Governor Obaseki from political and public disgrace. I listened to the elders that the governor should be allowed to complete his second term.

“I stepped down and played my role by taking Obaseki round the stadium. One Naira I did not take. One Naira the governor did not offer. Maybe if he had paid billions, he would not have treated us like this.

“During the election, I was his party agent. I slept at the collation centre and when the result was out, I took it to him personally. I protected the ticket I freely gave to him. Everything he said he would do, none has he done.

“I have refused to say anything since 2020. I told our leaders and they took said that the governor doesn’t listen to anyone. He has not kept to any single agreement as he took all the positions: governor, deputy governor, SSG and Chief of Staff. In 2024 again, he has taken the governorship and the deputy governorship. Did we escort him to politics?” Ogbeide-Ihama queried.

He stated that “as aboriginal PDP, the Legacy group remains in the PDP, what we are saying is that we will not be part of anybody who wants to destroy the house we built.

“Our mumu don do. Agreed that we made a mistake in the past, let him do and go. But he went to Lagos to go and bring his friend. He took the governor, he took the deputy and we are asking, what is our own. We are the owners of the house and we are not stupid.

“We will give him time to do what is right. We will not leave the PDP. We will be in our various polling units on election day and that is why we are asking the governor to come now, talk to us and tell us what is in it for us as the aborigine PDP. We will not allow the same thing to repeat itself. Enough is enough”, Ogbeide-Ihama added.

He further stated that whatever the governor decided to do would determine the next step the group would take, stressing, “the governor still has the time to reach out to us now before it is too late.”

Earlier, the Edo South Senatorial District Chairman of the PDP, Ogieva-Okunbor, said that the leaders/stakeholders meeting was called “so that the old PDP must all say their minds, have the same mind and thoughts and stand together in unity.

“One thing that is sure here is that we will never help an ingrate again. Whatever efforts we are going to put in must be rewarded”, he said.

Also speaking, former Senate Whip, Senator Roland Owie, said Governor Obaseki had not been fair to the Legacy group in spite of how the group assisted him when he ran into political crisis in his former party, the APC.

He regretted that even in his Uhunmwode Local Government Area, Governor Obaseki appropriated the least of all political positions such as the councillor to his group that followed him to the PDD from the APC.