The chicken has come home to roost in Edo PDP with the suspension of Chief Dan Orbih, National Vice Chairman of the party who worked spiritedly towards ensuring that Governor Godwin Obaseki was fielded as the governorship candidate of PDP after he failed to get the spot under APC.
Pundits had warned that the hurried acceptance of Gov. Obaseki would rattle the foundation of the party in the state.
It was therefore no surprise that the former chairman of PDP in the state was suspended for what was termed; ‘anti-party activities’ by Edo North Senatorial leadership of the party after a vote of ‘no confidence’ was passed on him.
Other suspended executives include the state PDP Vice Chairman, Edo North, Segun Saiki, the State Secretary of the party, Hilary Otsu and 5 Local Government Area (LGA) party chairmen.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting at the PDP Secretariat in Auchi, Etsako West local government area, and signed by 15 leaders from the six local government areas that make up the zone, said Orbih was frustrating the efforts of the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to harmonize the party.
It said Dan Orbih led the other suspended persons to boycott the recent stakeholders meeting called by Obaseki.
The communique reads: “Having x-rayed recent developments in the state chapter of the PDP in Edo State it has become imperative to save our great party from imminent collapse and instill discipline in the hierarchy.
“We also view with serious concerns all the moves by Chief Dan Orbih, the Senatorial Chairman and the 5 Party Chairmen from Akoko-Edo, Etsako Central, Etsako East, Owan East and Owan West to truncate all efforts being made by Mr. Governor to have a harmonized party structure across the State. It is no longer secret that Chief Dan Orbih who had earlier sponsored some persons to go to court against the leader of the Party.
“As leaders of the party from the zone, we view this as an act of gross misconduct and, a violation of the party’s constitution and by extension, an act of anti-party activities.
“In view of the above, a vote of no confidence and suspension was passed on Chief Dan Orbih, the State Secretary of the PDP, Senatorial Chairman and the 5 PDP LGA Chairmen in Edo North.”
But dismissing the suspension, the State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Chris Nehikhare, said the action should be disregarded as it is of no consequence.