22nd June, 2011
The failure of the Edo House of Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe to accept the nomination of Mr. Emmanuel Okodua and Kingsley Ehigiamusor as minority leader and minority whip respectively has been condemned by the PDP Deputy Chairman South-South, Chief Dickson Owere-Imasogie in Benin.
He described the action of the speaker as immature.
According to Chief Owere-Imasogie who stated that “since the national secretariat of the PDP recognised the Tony Anenih-led faction of the party and even during the Presidential campaign rally in which President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan publicly recognised the Chairmanship of Chief Dan Obirh, it was unnecessary for anyone to still doubt the authentic leader of the PDP in the state.”
The Edo state Chairman of PDP Chief Dan Obirh had earlier sent a letter to the Edo State House of Assembly nominating the party’s leaders in the House since the PDP is now in the minority in the House.
But the factional PDP leader in the state wrote to the House of Assembly a letter which was jointly signed by Revd. Peter Obadan and Mr. Francis Omo-Osunde Iyasere, urging the speaker to disregard the earlier nomination made by the Anenih-led faction on grounds that there was a case before a competent court of jurisdiction bordering on leadership of the party in the state.
On the threat of mass defection should the president accept the nomination of former Minister of state for Defence, Arch. Mike Onolmememin as minister representing the state from PDP, Chief Owere-Imasogie declared that there was no faction in the PDP in Edo State but in case the Ogbemudia people are complaining that Anenih has forwarded a nomination to the President, that is normal.
He said Ogbemudia also claimed that he has also sent 10 of his own nominated candidate in Edo state alone to the presidency and that he has the right to choose anybody wants.
He said it is therefore wrong for anybody to issue threat of defecting should the president appoint any candidate of his choice.
“The President is responsible for the success and failure of his ministers and he also has the power of appointment and dismissal. No one can dictate for the president who to appoint as minister,” he said.
On the Issue of internal wrangling in the PDP that has led to the defeat of the party in the state and now that the local government election is approaching, Owore-Imasogie said: “I will not say that there is internal wrangling, may be you are thinking because of the wrangling that is why we performed poorly in the last elections. It is not.
“We have x-rayed it. There is the issue of undue influence that the government uses, using government money, and today the local government cannot pay their salary. Ask what they used the money for. So there is no rival, although where there are two or three persons, there must be faction. The faction in ACN is worse than that of PDP. If the Local Government election is going to be free and fair the PDP is ready.
“But let me tell you, I am from Uhumonhde constituency, we don’t think we are defeated. The matter is at the tribunal and when we begin to bring out our evidence, you will see all the facts.”
By Yomi Obaditan/ Benin
