PDP crisis deepens as Okpebholo predicts imminent collapse of party

From Tony Osauzo, Benin

On Wednesday, April 16, Chief Dan Orbih, South-South National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), intensified the Edo State PDP crisis by donating a new state secretariat at 175 Airport Road, Benin City, and publicly denouncing the Dr Tony Aziegbemi-led Caretaker Committee.

Orbih accused the committee of collaborating with former Governor Godwin Obaseki to undermine the party, labelling them “undertakers” rather than caretakers. “I want to publicly declare that those who collaborated with Godwin Obaseki to kill the PDP in Edo State cannot be caretakers. They are undertakers,” he said.

He urged the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to organise a proper congress to elect new state leadership, stressing, “We can no longer tolerate these characters who collaborated with Obaseki to kill our party.”

Orbih explained that the secretariat donation fulfilled a pledge made weeks earlier to address the party’s lack of a base since 17 January 2025, when Aziegbemi was evicted from the former office. “You know, like I know that PDP cannot be a homeless party… I want to say here in my capacity as the Zonal Vice Chairman South-South that those people have no standing in PDP; they are pretenders,” he added, aiming to close a “sad chapter” of the party’s homelessness.

Concurrently, Nicholas Asonsere, a PDP member of the Edo State House of Assembly representing Ikpoba-Okha, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), reducing PDP’s seats to nine while APC’s rose to 15 out of 24. Governor Monday Okpebholo, receiving Asonsere at Government House, predicted the PDP’s imminent collapse, attributing it to APC’s developmental achievements.

“Very soon, the opposition PDP will collapse in Edo State because of what the APC represents,” he said, promising to utilise Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds for development. Okpebholo criticised Obaseki’s education record, citing a visit to Army Day Secondary School in Ikpoba-Okha on 15 April, where he found only six dilapidated classrooms for JSS 1 and JSS 2 combined. “Obaseki cheated Edo people,” he claimed, thanking President Bola Tinubu for supporting Edo’s progress.

APC State Chairman Jarrett Tenebe, presenting Asonsere, said the defection was voluntary, driven by Okpebholo’s projects, including the state’s first flyover in Ikpoba-Okha.

“Your Excellency, your developmental strides in Edo State have shaken the foundation of the opposition party,” Tenebe stated. Asonsere echoed this, saying, “I was not approached by anybody but convinced by the developmental strides of Governor Monday Okpebholo… The governor is building the first flyover in Benin City.”

APC Secretary Engr Lawrence Okah predicted two more defections by month-end, noting, “We are in a comfortable majority in EDHA… More people are coming.” The PDP plans to challenge Asonsere’s defection in court, alleging APC inducement.