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Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Coalition of Political Parties in Edo State (CPP), has denied collecting N65M before endorsing Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) for a second term.
The CPP comprising 35 political parties( both registered and deregistered), had collapsed their structures to ensure the re-election of Obaseki for a second term.
But the All Progressives Congress, APC, alleged that the CPP endorsed Obaseki after alleged payment of money and a promise of another N65 million reward.
Speaking with Journalists in Benin City, CPP chairman, Collins Oreruan, said they didn’t collect money from anybody before endorsing Obaseki.
Oreruan who is the Edo State chairman of the Social Democratic Party, said all the chairen of the 35 political parties signed the endorsement form after series of meetings.
“The endorsement happened after series of meetings of our members to look at the candidates of the two major political parties and decide which of them to support.
“After due consultations, we arrived at governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP”.
He said the reasons for supporting him is to enable him complete his projects rather than supporting a fresher who would start telling stories.
“Also our support was based on the good work in education and industrial sectors, institutional reforms among others. There was nothing like inducement”, Oreruan said.
On some political parties distancing themselves from the endorsement, he said “all the 35 parties that endorsed Obaseki, their chairmen signed the commitment form for the endorsement during our concluding meetings.
“We know that this kind of things will happen hence all the parties’ chairmen signed commitment form. This is the paper they all signed. What is playing out is that a faction of those parties who are impostors are denying the endorsement”, he said.
Recall that the state chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), had dissociated itself from the endorsement.
Reacting to the claim by a coalition of 35 political parties, the Edo South Senatorial Chairman of SDP, Hon. Osaze Ozigbo, said: “Mr. Collins Orerua who represented the party at the event has been on suspension for two and half year.
“He is not the chairman of the party neither does he represent the interest of the party. The state chairman of the party is Elder Felix Obahiagbon who is now the party flagbearer in the forthcoming Governorship election and he is well recognized by the party headquarters in Abuja”, he said.
Ozigbo, while accusing Orerua of wrongdoing against the SDP, said he is claiming to be the chairman of SDP which he is not.
“He should first go and rectify his membership with the party at the Abuja head office.
“We dont know him and he is not representing our interest. The endorsement of a particular candidate is not a collective decision of SDP”, he said.
Also speaking in the same vein, the Edo State Party Leader, Elder Peter Imhansoloeva, Jp, said “As far as I know, the SDP has not adopted any particular candidate in the forthcoming governorship election. We have our candidate in the person of Felix Obahiagbon who was the former chairman of the party.
“I and Felix contested for the gubernatorial ticket of the party which he eventually won. I have no contest about his emerging the party flagbearer. As at today, we have not collapsed our structure for any particular candidate outside SDP”, he said.
The Oredo Youth Leader of SDP also supported the party leaders, saying: “Mr. Collins Orerua is just trying to reap where he did not sow. He is just parading himself in other to defraud the good people of Edo State. Anybody dealing with Collins Orerua is taking risk”.
