Politics

Edo Guber: PDP Leaders Canvass Ogbeide-Ihama As Division Erupts Over Zoning

Published

2 years ago

January 8, 2024

By Elvis John-Agho

A storm is brewing in the top hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP over the campaign for zoning of the party’s governorship ticket in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.

The campaign for the zoning of the ticket to the Edo Central Senatorial Zone which has not completed a four year term appeared to have gained traction last year and partly led Governor Godwin Obaseki to narrow his succession plan to fellow corporate player, Asue Ighodalo who is from Ewohinmi in Edo Central.

The logic was the claim that Edo South has produced two governors in Chief Lucky Igbinedion and the outgoing, Obaseki, while Edo North has produced Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. Edo Central on the other hand has produced Senator Osehrienmen Osunbor whose term was, however, cut short after 20 months.

The popular agitation had been to zone the ticket to Central for equity and balance. The campaign may have partly led the outgoing governor, Obaseki to champion corporate player, Asue Ighodalo from Ewohinmi in Edo Central as his successor.

However, the argument for equity and zoning is increasingly being counterbalanced by demographics with the claim that Edo South which has 52% of the population could back another party that produces a candidate from Edo South.

The growing sentiment in Edo South has been fired by a petition from the influential Benin National Congress, BNC which last week complained to the Oba of Benin of the marginalisation of Edo South in political appointments and projects.

That sentiment, it was gathered, is making Edo Central to focus on producing the next governor of the state.

The Nigerian Tribune has meanwhile reported that party leaders who have canvassed their views on zoning among PDP governors and the National Working Committee, NWC say that it would amount to political suicide to sidetrack Edo South to give the ticket to Edo Central which has about 21% of the population.

“It would therefore be suicidal for any party to zone the governorship position to Edo Central given the lopsided voter population and especially when there is no statewide consensus on such an idea,” the newspaper quoted a party source as saying.

Obaseki, it was reported, is lobbying fellow governors that it would be fair to allow him produce his successor, a development that would also address the marginalisation of Edo Central.

However, influential political leaders mostly belonging to the Chief Dan Orbih led Legacy Coalition is believed to have countered that among party leaders on the claim that it would lead to the party losing the election.

According to the Nigerian Tribune, party leaders supportive of a candidate from Edo South are also of the view that zoning may not guarantee fairness, as according to them, the candidate who was prevailed upon to drop his ticket for Obaseki in 2020, who also hails from Edo South, Honourable Ogbeide Ihama should be considered in the forthcoming primaries.

One of the leaders said: “Our fairness, equity, and justice should start from 2020 by rewarding Honourable Ogbeide Ihama, the man who stepped down to enable us to bring in Obaseki as a candidate in 2020.

“What the leaders told him then was that he still had age on his side. Now that he has been elected twice into the House of Representatives from Oredo Constituency, he has shown as someone in tune with the grassroots and should be considered.”

Related Topics:Edo 2024 Ogbeide Ihama PDP

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Politics

Dino Melaye Reacts To Malami’s Arraignment For Money Laundering

Published

3 days ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

Ex-Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has reacted to the arraignment of a former Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami, before an Abuja Federal High Court.

Melaye wished Malami well as he began his trial for corruption.

Posting on X, the former lawmaker recalled how he was prosecuted by Malami over what he described as frivolous cases while he was the AGF.

He wrote: “Reminded me of how I was appearing in different courts when Malami as AGF was prosecuting me over frivolous cases including taking over one of the police cases against me. Wish him.well.”

Malami, his son Abdulaziz, and another individual are facing a 16-count charge of money laundering.

They were arraigned on allegations of unlawful acquisition and concealment of funds.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Politics

What PDP Said About Wike’s Media Parley

Published

3 days ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, of being a constant agent of provocation in the political space, alleging that he creates trouble to mask selfish intentions.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stated this in a statement issued on Monday in response to Wike’s media parley with selected journalists in Port Harcourt, also held on Monday.

According to the PDP, remarks made by the minister on several occasions are proof that he falls short of being a locus classicus of anti-democratic adventurism.

The party said Wike’s conduct was not new, stressing that he has consistently acted as an agent provocateur in the political arena, stirring controversy to advance personal interests.

The PDP further stated that since Wike assumed office as Governor of Rivers State in 2015, he has remained a recurrent source of trouble within the party’s leadership.

“From the Sheriff era, where he was a forerunner in the Sheriff-for-National Chairman movement and later turned to fight and remove Sheriff; later he championed the Uche Secondus-for-National Chairman movement (in fact, he granted a very combustible interview that polarized the party just before the convention) and then was the same person fighting to remove Secondus.

“The same Wike led the movement to produce Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman against the advice of many party leaders, and so soon thereafter, it was Wike again who led the Ayu-must-go struggle.

“By his end-of-year media chat, Minister Nyesom Wike has reiterated his support for, and in fact declared that he is the ‘number one supporter’ of the presumptive candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 Presidential election, while remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, confirming the basis of his expulsion from the PDP, for anti-party activities,” the statement said.

Politics

JUST IN: INEC Excludes PDP From Ekiti Governorship Election

Published

3 days ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election, Dr Wole Oluyede, and his deputy were conspicuously absent as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, released the provisional list of party candidates ahead of the election.

INEC on Monday posted the list of candidates from 12 political parties vying for the state’s top job at its office on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The list shows that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is fielding the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, with Monisade Afuye as his running mate.

Other candidates include Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party, with Omoyemi Olaleye as deputy; Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress, paired with Oluwasanmi Fajuyigbe; and Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party, with Itunu Ibitoye as running mate.

Similarly, the African Democratic Congress is presenting Oluwadare Bejide and Paul Olowoyeye, while the Action Peoples Party has Bidemi Awogbemi and Akinyemi Adewumi on its ticket.

The PDP’s absence may not be unconnected with the leadership crisis currently rocking the party at the national level.