Edo PDP explodes as Dan Orbih unveils rival Secretariat

By Jethro Ibileke

The rift within the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened dramatically on Wednesday as factional leader Chief Dan Orbih inaugurated a parallel secretariat, further intensifying the internal power struggle.

Orbih, known for his unyielding stance against the party’s current leadership, unveiled the new office in Benin, which is housed in the former campaign office of ex-Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, now a defector to the ruling APC.

This dramatic move comes hot on the heels of the January 17 expulsion of the Dr. Tony Aziegbemi-led faction from their secretariat by the State Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe.

Since that incident, the Caretaker Committee, headed by Aziegbemi, has been operating from a hotel in the GRA.

In his address during the inauguration of the new Edo PDP secretariat, Orbih vehemently criticized the Aziegbemi-led faction, labelling them “masqueraders” and “undertakers” who, according to him, had colluded with former Governor Godwin Obaseki to bury the PDP in the state.

Orbih’s fiery words echoed his frustration with the state of the party, and he wasted no time in declaring that those in the caretaker committee had no legitimate claim to leadership.

“These individuals have no standing in the PDP. They are pretenders, and from today, we will no longer entertain any statement from anyone outside those managing the party in Edo State,” Orbih declared.

“I am here to publicly announce that those who worked with Obaseki to destroy our party are not caretakers but undertakers. They buried the party, and it is time for us to rebuild, reconstruct, and reposition the Edo PDP.”

Orbih’s impassioned speech also touched on the PDP’s electoral collapse in the state.

He lamented the loss of key political positions, stating with regret, “A party that once boasted two serving Senators, a majority in the House of Representatives, now has no senator, just one member in the House of Representatives, and the governorship has gone to the APC.”

With palpable disillusionment, Orbih continued, “Edo people are reaching out to me, but let me tell them, Obaseki and the characters who collaborated with him represent the worst side of the PDP. They are betrayers who turned against those who helped them rise to power.”

In a call to action, Orbih urged the remaining loyal members of the party to look forward to a brighter future and work together to restore the PDP to its former glory.

“We must put the past behind us and unite for a new beginning,” he said, making it clear that he was committed to working with those who genuinely believed in the survival of the party.