From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Edo State chapter, yesterday, frowned at the way and manner governors on the platform of the party are hobnobbing with the presidential candidates of other political parties saying actions, capable of misleading its members across the state in the forthcoming general elections.

The state chairman of the party, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, expressed the party’s resentment in Benin City ahead of the general elections in the country.

He said the recent trip of five state governors on the platform of the PDP to London and their subsequent meetings with presidential candidates of two other parties namely His Excellency Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and now presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate His Excellency Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and the elder statesman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo took the front pages of newspaper and the electronic media.

Dr. Aziegbemi said the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, who is the leader of the delegation, in a media interview said that the survival of the country was the main motive behind himself and some other governors’ meeting with the presidential candidates of different parties in London recently.

Aziegbemi said it was also reported that the highly respected five governors and leaders of the party led by His Excellency, Samuel Ortom of Benue State in the trip also held a reconciliation meeting with the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar .

He said, while the party is quite elated with the statement credited to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom that the meeting was for the good of the country, hence, might not have anything to do with supporting other parties’ candidates aspiration, they are however, worried that the meeting might be mistaken for support for other presidential candidates of other parties by the supporters of the party(PDP).

He added that with barely few months to the 2023 general election that would herald a new, progressive and functional government headed by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, the need for the party to close ranks, irrespective of perceived differences should now be at the front burner.

He argued that the essence of the existence of any political structure or political party is to win elections, which is also the intention of their dear party but the current disposition of some of its respected leaders is giving room for concern among the members of the party who are awaiting political directives from their leaders.

He said globally, there must be differences amongst members of political parties but not to the extent of working against the principles and interest of the party

He stressed that the state leadership of the party, however, is using the medium to appeal to the concerned governors to restrain from such meetings especially at this critical moment where the burning issues are about mobilization of support for the party’s candidates for the 2023 presidential, governorship, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly elections.

He reiterated that, moreover, the chapter recommends that more meetings between the governors on the party’s platform not restricted to the five governors be convened to further strengthen the party ahead of the presidential election.

He pointed out that the Nigerian people are eagerly waiting for the PDP to take over governance from the present administration which has put Nigeria in the present economic predicament, even as they assure Nigerians that their party(PDP) when voted into power in the elections, will not disappoint Nigerians as it will do more and better than it had done in its about 16 years in government.

He said there is no mincing words that the state’s votes for Atiku Abubakar are non negotiable just as he enjoined its supporters to be resolute in their resolve as the current issues affecting the party would be resolved in favour of the party in no distant time.