Barely five months to the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, the end seems not to be in sight to the festering crisis rocking the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as the South South Zonal national Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih has disassociated himself from the recently constituted 200-man Edo PDP Governorship Campaign Council.
Chief Orbih, from Etsako Central Local Government Area of the state said that he was not consulted before his name was included in the list which was Thursday unveiled by the Edo State Organizing Secretary of the party, Mr. Anthony Anenih, jnr.
According to Mr. Anenih, jnr, Governor Godwin Obaseki, former Governor Lucky Igbinedion, Senator Daisy Ehanire-Danjuma, ex-Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Ikimi, among others are to lead the Advisory Committee of the Governorship Campaign Council while former Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Mathew Iduoriyekenmwen will lead the Management Team as the Director General.
Again, the top PDP leader said that none of the party’s chieftains bothered to inform him that his name was included in the list as he was not invited to the meeting when the decision to set up the council was taken.
He fumed: “Nobody told me of any campaign council and I am not aware of it. Some persons who saw my name on the list called me. I have not seen the list and I am not aware of it and not party to the composition of the council.”
The name of immediate past member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama (Oredo), an ally of the South South Zonal national Vice Chairman, was conspicuously missing from the list.
Chief Orbih headed Legacy Group has been at daggers drawn with the Governor Obaseki led group for the control of the soul of the party in the Heart Beat of the Nation state.
The cold war between the two feuding factions led to several litigations during the run up to the 2023 polls as the two camps jostled for the party’s tickets for the National and the States House of Assemblies.