From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The fortunes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State increased at the weekend ahead of the forthcoming election, as hundreds of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oredo, Egor, Etsako West and East local government areas of the state defected to the party.
In Egor local government area, 10 ward chairmen led by Comrade Peter Igbinewo, resigned from the PDP, citing alleged injustice meted to its leaders by the Dan Orbih-led executive of the party, as reason.
“It is our heart desire to quit PDP in Egor. The issue is that a congress was conducted sometime ago and at the end we are still waiting for the result of the congress. The factional chairmen here and our women leaders went for election, Dr Oni Edigin’s faction ran away from the field only for Orbih to adopt Oni Edigin’s faction which is unconstitutional.
“We wrote several petitions to the state executive all to no avail. An opposition party is supposed to encourage its people and not to intimidate and humiliate its people unjustly. Orbih has always preached that Oshiomhole is intimidating people but within his own party, he has made himself an emperor in PDP”, Igbinewo alleged, as indication emerged that they may pitch tent with the APC this week.
In Oredo ward seven, the defectors were led by a founding member of the PDP, Peter Agbokonkon and Dr Imade Popular. They expressed the belief that the governorship candidate of the APC, Godwin Obaseki will make a better governor than Pastor Ize-Iyamu whom they alleged was being imposed by some godfathers.
The defectors from the SDP in Ibie, Okpella and Okpekpe were led by former local government Secretary of the party, Hassan Eragbe, who said the SDP was dead in the state.
The defectors from Edo North were received into the party when Godwin Obaseki visited the wards as part of his campaigns.