The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is widely known for “Power to the people” but nowadays, in Edo State where the party is currently exercising influence, this slogan is gradually giving way to the adoption of a new motto, “harmonisation.”
Harmonisation has become a frequent word on the lips of PDP members in the state since the umbrella party sheltered Governor Godwin Obaseki from the “heavy rainfall” in the run-up to the last governorship election in the state.
Obaseki lost the opportunity to contest for a second term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party he contested under to clinch victory in 2016. Determined to run the affairs of the state for another four years, the governor defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and emerged winner of the election that held in September 2020.
The term, harmonisation gained traction few months after Obaseki assumed office in Dennis Osadebey avenue to steer the ship for another constitutional four-year period. During his first year, he was confronted with the onerous task of integrating the All Progressives Congress members that defected alongside with him to the PDP, which has purportedly divided the party into two groups called the “Old PDP” and the “New PDP.”
While the new PDP comprised the governor and other APC members that moved to the PDP, the old PDP is made up of the founding and existing members that welcomed the governor to the party.
The situation, consequently, delayed political appointments, including commissioners and aides; pitted the governor against the old PDP members and led to a gale of suspension which started from the upper echelon of the ruling party in the state.
Although his suspension has been lifted by the state working committee of the PDP after he was exonerated and acquitted by the investigative committee set up to probe him, Tony Aziegbemi, the state chairman of the party, was earlier suspended for alleged gross misconduct and for causing disunity among party members in the state.
Also, Dan Orbih, the South-South national vice chairman of the PDP, was purportedly suspended for truncating all efforts being made by the governor to have a harmonised party structure across the state.
In a letter to the national leadership, alleging plot by the governor to dissolve the state party’s executive, the state PDP leadership had, last year, said: “The genesis of this looming crisis results from the acquiescence of the National Working Committee members who negotiated Obaseki’s movement to the PDP.
“The committee did not reach a verbal or written agreement on the integration of the new members, vis-a-vis, the sharing of appointments, after the elections had been won.
“We, therefore, condemn Governor Obaseki for re-appointing his former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) without any consideration for the ‘legacy PDP’ he joined.
“To this end, they have consistently sang a tune of ‘harmonisation’ ever since Obaseki was sworn in, now that he has the ‘yam and the knife’. We have resolved strongly that if any harmonisation must take place, it must start from the Governor’s office, where his Deputy Governor should resign and a deputy nominated from the old PDP is sworn in.
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“This can be a spring board for broad harmonisation across the state party organs. The proposed dissolution and, or, harmonisation are designed to hold Edo people and the PDP to ransom by the Obaseki-led administration. We will not accept this.
“Edo people voted for PDP and Godwin Obaseki to deliver the dividends of democracy to them. If he wishes to appoint only his friends and former APC colleagues in his cabinet and sundry positions and leave out the legacy of PDP members, so be it.
“We, the state PDP leadership, will not accede to any form of harmonisation that has no backing or interpretation in our party constitution.”
Prior to the party’s national convention that was conducted last year, the Edo State chapter of the party held an enlarged stakeholders meeting for harmonisation.”
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Obaseki noted, “PDP is organising its convention at the end of October and this meeting is to prepare us for the convention. There were a few housekeeping issues that we needed to discuss and clear, so it was important to get everybody across the divide to have a session like this, to get feedback and also take decisions on what to do and make progress in the state.
“Naturally, not all will be happy in a situation like this and we have tried to address some of the concerns of our people who feel unhappy as a result of certain things that may have happened.
“The key issue was that of harmonisation, seeing how to bring in all parties to the table to have an expanded party in the state. The commitment obtained from them is that within a week, those areas not cleared will be dealt with and they will come back to me with their resolution.”
Thereafter, following the reported harmonisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by leaders in the different local government areas of Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki approved the appointment of new Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs) in the areas across the state.
The recent outburst by the Governor happened at an expanded caucus meeting of leaders and members of the PDP in the state when he urged anyone who is uncomfortable with his leadership of the party to leave, noting that he has no plan of defecting from the ruling party in the state to another.
Obaseki further said the party is now fully harmonised, stressing that the constitution of the party bequeaths him with the leadership of the party in the state, a position which according to him is not up for contest by anyone.
“I can’t leave PDP. I will not decamp from the PDP; we will always win any election. PDP won in the last election and we will continue to win all elections in the state and country; nothing will stop us as a party.
“There is no division in Edo PDP. Let the party be opened to accommodate others. PDP is democratic. The hallmark of democracy is ensuring that the majority has their way, as the minority can’t dictate to the people.
The governor accused some persons of going around saying there is no harmonisation in Edo PDP. “This is really irresponsible to say and an insult to members of the party, as the party has truly harmonised in the state.
“Democracy is about majority; the minority in an institution cannot be the one dictating to the majority. We have said whatever the issues are, come to the table and talk, and don’t play funny games behind.
“Whatever anybody wants, the umbrella is big enough to accommodate everybody’s interest. So, come under the umbrella and let’s have a conversation. But if you don’t and you feel you want to throw stones from outside into the house it will be really unfortunate and will not happen because we have the majority of PDP members in Edo State.
“PDP in Edo State is harmonised because before we made any appointments in any ward, we made sure the party at that level was harmonised. We are gathered here now as election timetable is out; harmonisation has been done, appointments made and we are ready to win any election before us.
“Edo is Edo, leave Edo State alone. They have tried us in battle, and have been made to know that we are battle-ready. We have been tested and trusted. We must always win elections; we must always win as a party.”
At the same meeting, Philip Shaibu, deputy governor of Edo State, expressed worry that officials of the PDP were yet to accept those who left the APC, including Anslem Ojezua, a former state chairman of the APC, to the ruling party in the state prior to the September 19 governorship election.
Shaibu, while protesting the issue of alleged marginalisation of the new PDP members, said “What I know, my chairman in APC, Anslem Ojezua and all other chairmen and executives that left with us, we followed you to the PDP. Mr. Governor, we are tired, we are actually tired. Every time we come, you will tell us we’ll soon, we’ll soon, we’ll soon; when will this we’ll soon be over?
“Mr. Governor, we all agreed that anywhere you go, we will follow you; we still stand by that. Mr. Governor, we escorted you to PDP, but we are still not being accepted, that is the truth.
“Mr. Governor, your leadership style is what has kept us this far. You have been telling us to be patient, and we believe in you, we believe that you will always take us to that promise land and it’s that perseverance that makes us to still remain in PDP.
But, Hillary Otsu, secretary, Edo State chapter of the PDP, opined that nobody is being marginalized, saying “It is wrong to say that the old PDP has not welcomed the new members or has not allowed them to be integrated into the party.
“When they joined PDP more than a year ago, in the first major convention, which was the zonal convention in Port Harcourt, three positions were zoned to Edo State. The positions are the national vice chairman, financial secretary and ex-officio. The national vice chairman is Dan Orbih, who has been acting before the convention. The other two positions were handed to the governor and he nominated people that came with him from the APC.
“Also, at the national convention, two positions were zoned to Edo State and the governor nominated two people from among those that came with him from the APC. The governor has appointed commissioners and only two or three were selected from the old PDP.
“In the governor’s entire structure namely deputy governor, secretary to the state government, chief of staff, directors and even the recent appointment of permanent secretaries; none were from the old PDP.
“So, I don’t see the marginalisation they are talking about because the party’s hierarchy, as it is from the state to ward chairmen and members of EXCOs, were in place before the governor joined the party. So, relatively, since he came we have not been given big opportunities as old PDP members apart from the two to three commissioners’ position, a couple of Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) he handpicked by himself,” he added.
It is worthy to note that ahead of the general election as well as council polls in Edo, the storm gathering between the new PDP members and the old members may break the supporting networks and pole under the party’s umbrella fabric in the state if the recent signs of discord are not resolved amicably.
