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A House Divided Against Itself – How PDP Lost Edo

Published

2 years ago

September 27, 2024

The defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in last Saturday’s governorship election Edo State was largely predicted on the internal rancour that bedevilled the state chapter of the party.

Senator Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC defeated the PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo by 291,667 votes to 247,274 votes. The Labour Party’s candidate, Olumide Akpata came a distant third with 22,763 votes.

For a state that had been ruled by the PDP the election was seen as a referendum on the outgoing administration headed by Governor Godwin Obaseki. The referendum boiled down to delivery of good governance and management of human relationships.

In both respects, the PDP entered the election on a negative.

The election was held on a rainy day that clearly demonstrated the government’s failure in road infrastructure.

It would be recalled that election materials were late to arrive because of the rains which prevented vehicular movements largely on account of the bad roads that have emerged in many areas of the state.

So, for many voters the visible impact of bad roads was a reflection of their bad review of the Obaseki years in governance. Without reference to the promises of the PDP candidate, it was the suggestion of many that so long as the PDP candidate was riding on the support of Obaseki that he would continue on that trajectory.

However, even more than the visible impact of road infrastructure was the poor management of human relations which made Obaseki to be a loner on election day.

That figure of political loneliness was captured during the collation of election results at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC headquarters in Benin when the governor drove alone to complain about the alleged manipulation of figures.

Commenting on the development, Obaseki’s deputy, Mr Philip Shaibu, who is estranged from him said that the governor need not have done that were it not for his loneliness.
“We were the ones who used to do all such things for him. He need not have gone to INEC office by himself,” Shaibu said on Arise Television on Tuesday.

That claim of loneliness was largely reflected in the way the governor reportedly pushed aside those who backed him to power who crystallised into the Legacy Group.

After he was pushed away from the APC in June 2020, Obaseki was welcomed into the PDP with mixed feelings. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama who was on a roller-coaster to win the PDP governorship ticket was made promises including a senate ticket which never came to pass.

The party which had Chief Dan Orbih, the national vice-chairman, South South as leader gave him every support. Orbih became campaign manager and mounted the rostrum every where in Edo State to pave victory for Obaseki in 2020.

Following the victory, Obaseki took more than 11 months to constitute his cabinet. In that time he ran the government with the two former APC members he brought with him to government; his deputy, Shaibu and the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie.

Mutters began to be expressed by the PDP members who thought that having sacrificed the two top positions in government that Obaseki will reward them. But no. The governor’s response was that the PDP should dissolve its structures across the state so that he would appoint those who came with him from the APC into the PDP structures.

The PDP members firmly rebuffed him. That was the beginning of the crisis. Many PDP members told him to go with his government and that they would hold their party.

Dr Tony Aziegbemi, the chairman of the state chapter of the party was at one time suspended and recalled as the crisis grew.

As the crisis grew, Obaseki summoned some party leaders who were differential to him and senior government officials on October 11, 2021 where he announced the suspension of Orbih, Ogbeide-Ihama among others he defined as trouble makers.

“I will not leave PDP. I am the leader of PDP and by the grace of God I will lead PDP well. Any body that doesn’t want me to lead or want to accept my leadership will leave PDP for me,” he said on that day.

That was seen as the last straw on the camel’s back by many. It was following this that Orbih who had held the party for more than a 15 years before Obaseki began separating with him.

Orbih started coalescing the old PDP members and eventually became known as the Legacy PDP. With the power of incumbency, the group despite having the majority of supporters in the state executive lost the recognition of the national leadership of the party who ceded party tickets in the 2023 election to the candidates’ slate presented by Obaseki.

The Legacy Group kept away from the 2023 General Election, and where not, supported others against their party leading to the humiliating defeat of the PDP in the presidential and National Assembly elections.

It was the first time that the PDP would lose the National Assembly elections in Edo State as the party did not win a single Senate seat. Indeed, even with Adams Oshiomhole as governor the PDP was able to show muscle in national assembly elections getting the majority of seats.

The National Assembly election results in 2023 forced Obaseki on a save my life crusade ahead of the State House of Assembly election. His motif was to insinuate that a defeat for the PDP would lead to the emergence of an APC House that would be dominated by Adams Oshiomhole.

It was a trick that worked somewhat. The PDP eventually won control of the House of Assembly in March 2023. That House of Assembly victory perhaps gave Obaseki the confidence that he could still muscle his way through in the governorship election. Though he tried to make peace with Orbih but the effort was not seen as convincing enough.

For example for the first time Obaseki showed up at the traditional Christmas party hosted by Orbih at his Ogbona country home to identify with him last December. But many saw it as a move by the governor to buy over those he had consistently derided as dead woods.

When Asue Ighodalo emerged as candidate, the governor against the advice of Legacy PDP members and others insisted on foisting Osarodion Ogie, seen as one of his surrogates who came with him from the APC as the running mate.

It meant that for two election circles that the original PDP would not have any of its own on the ticket of the party.

Obaseki’s fate was worsened by the way he managed the PDP primary which led almost all of the 10 other aspirants who vied for the ticket with Ighodalo to take position against their party. Though Orbih was not visible in the public face of marshalling the opposition, he nevertheless was believed to have been the fulcrum around with the opposition by the PDP Legacy members vented out their frustration.

Obaseki it would be said helped to bring diverse foes together to stop what many of them saw as a third term for himself. The result was the bruising defeat of the PDP which on election day did not have the ground commanders to protect the votes the party claimed to have polled.

Chief Hilary Otsu is a Political Analyst.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria

Published

57 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.

He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.

“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.

He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.

“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.

“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.

DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

News

IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police

Published

1 hour ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.

Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.

Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.

News

Court Orders SERAP To Pay DSS Operatives N100m For Defamation

Published

6 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has ordered a non-governmental organization, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, to pay N100 million as damaged to two operatives of the Department of the State Services, DSS, for unjustly defaming them in some publications.

The court also ordered SERAP to tender public apologies to the defamed officers,
Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, in two national newspapers, two television stations and its website.

Besides, the organization was also ordered to pay the two operatives N1 million as cost of litigation and 10 percent post-judgment interest annually on the judgment sum until it’s fully liquidated.

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory gave the order on Tuesday while delivering judgment in a N5.5 billion defamation suit instituted against SERAP by the DSS operatives.

The judge found SERAP liable for unjustly defaming the two DSS operatives with allegations that they unlawfully invaded its Abuja office, harassed and intimidated its staff, in September 2024.

In the offending publication on its website and Twitter handle, SERAP alleged that the two operatives unlawfully invaded and occupied its office with sinister motives.

The judge held that the publication was in bad taste especially from an organization established to promote transparency and accountability, as nothing in the publication was found to be truthful.

The DSS staff had listed SERAP as 1st defendant in the suit marked CV/4547/2024. SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, was listed as the 2nd defendant.

In the suit, the claimants – Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele – accused the two defendants of making false claims that they invaded SERAP’s Abuja office on September 9, 2024..

Counsel to the DSS, Oluwagbemileke Samuel Kehinde, had while adopting his final address in the mater urged the judge to grant all the reliefs sought by his client in the interest of justice.

He admitted that although the names of the two claimants were not mentioned in the defamation materials, they had however established substantial circumstances that they are the ones referred to in the published defamation article by SERAP on its website.

The counsel submitted that all ingredients of defamation have been clearly established and the offending publication referred to the two officials of the secret police.

However, SERAP, through its counsel, Victoria Bassey from Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, law firm, asked the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that the two claimants did not establish that they were the ones referred to in the alleged defamation materials.

She said that SERAP used “DSS officials” in the alleged offending publication, adding that the two claimants must establish that they are the ones referred to before their case can succeed.

Similar arguments were canvassed by Oluwatosin Adefioye who stood for the second defendant, adding that there was no dispute in the September 9, 2024 operation of DSS in SERAP’s office.

He said that since SERAP in the publication did not name any particular person, the claimants must plead special circumstances that they were the ones referred to as the DSS officials.

Besides, he said that there is no organization by name Department of State Services in law, hence, DSS cannot claim being defamed adding that the only entity known to law is National Security Agency.

The claimants had in the suit stated that the alleged false claim by SERAP has negatively impacted on their reputation.

The DSS also stated, in the statement of claim, that, in line with the agency’s practice of engaging with officials of non-governmental organisations operating in the FCT to establish a relationship with their new leadership, it directed the two officials – John and Ogunleye – to visit SERAP’s office and invite them for a familiarization meeting.

The claimants added that in carrying out the directive, John and Ogunleye paid a friendly visit to SERAP’s office at 18 Bamako Street, Wuse Zone 1, Abuja on September 9 and met with one Ruth, who upon being informed about the purpose of the visit, claimed that none of SERAP’s management staff was in the country and advised that a formal letter of invitation be written by the DSS.

John and Ogundele, who claimed that their interactions with Ruth were recorded, said before they immediately exited SERAP’s office, Ruth promised to inform her organisation’s management about the visit and volunteered a phone number – 08160537202.

They said it was surprising that, shortly after their visit, SERAP posted on its X (Twitter) handle – @SERAPNigeria – that officers of the DSS are presently unlawfully occupying its office.

The claimant added, “On the same day, the defendants also published a statement on SERAP’s website, which was widely reported by several media outfits, falsely alleging that some officers from the DSS, described as “a tall, large, dark-skinned woman” and “a slim, dark skinned man,” invaded their Abuja office and interrogated the staff of the first defendant (SERAP).

John and Ogundele stated that “due to the false statements published by the defendants, the DSS has been ridiculed and criticised by international agencies such as the Amnesty International and prominent members of the Nigerian society, such as Femi Falana (SAN)”.

“Due to the false statements published by the defendants, members of the public and the international community formed the opinion that the Federal Government is using the DSS to harass the defendants.”

They added that the defendants’ statements caused harm to their reputation because the staff and management of the DSS have formed the opinion that the claimants did not follow orders and carried out an unsanctioned operation and are therefore, incompetent and unprofessional.

The claimants therefore prayed the court for the following reliefs: “An order directing the defendants to tender an apology to the claimants via the first defendant’s (SERAP’s) website, X (twitter) handle, two national daily newspapers (Punch and Vanguard) and two national news television stations (Arise Television and Channels Television) for falsely accusing the claimants of unlawfully invading the first defendant’s office and interrogating the first defendant’s staff.

“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N5 billion as damages for the libellous statements published about the claimants.

“Interest on the sum of N5b at the rate of 10 percent per annum from the date of judgment until the judgment sum is realised or liquidated.

“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N50 million as costs of this action.”