PDP boss: ‘They want to chop Airhiavbere’s money’

JETHRO IBILEKE/Benin

The verbal altercation between members of the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the election petition filed by the Governorship candidate of the party, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere at the State Election Petition Tribunal challenging the election of Governor Adams Oshiomhole has continued to put the party in disarray.

Gen. Airhavbere’s petition ran into hitches as soon as he filed it, as the PDP, which was named as co-petitioner withdrew from the petition.

The PDP through its Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, said in a statement that the party after due consultations, decided not to pursue the petition and get involved in protracted electoral case in court.

Some members of the party, Monday, in a communiqué signed by some leaders of Edo North Senatorial District of the party, and made available to journalists in Benin, said “the justice of this case will be better served by prosecuting the case in the court of law.”

“That we are unimpressed by the dissolvent theories and or reasons given by Chief Dan Orbih which according to him led to his unilateral withdrawal of PDP from the suit filed by Gen. Ehigie Airhiavbere in the Election Petition Tribunal. We consider them very untrue, unfounded, baseless and lacking in merit,” the communiqué signed by Chief Godwin Ojo and three others said.

Reacting to the communiqué, the State Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih described its authors as unknown members of the party and political jobbers who are out to eat Gen. Airhiavbere’s money, insisting that the party’s earlier position stands. He announced that the party has filed a petition at the Tribunal to formally withdraw from the petition filed by Gen. Airhiavbere.

Soon after the party made its stand on the election petition known, there have been varied reactions from some members of the party in the State, with a faction of the leaders of Edo South Senatorial District of the party throwing their weight behind Gen. Airhiavbere to pursue the petition, while another faction of the party from the same Senatorial District led, by its Leader, Mr. Lucky Imasuen endorsed the decision of the party.