Ologbondiyan allays fears over Obaseki’s defection to PDP

The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday assuaged the fears of some members of the Edo State chapter over the recent defection of Governor Godwin Obaseki to the major opposition party.

According to him, there is no basis for any member of Edo chapter to be disgruntled over Obaseki joining the PDP and no aspirant for the governorship ticket should entertain fear that the national headquarters, in collaboration with the PDP Governor’s Forum headed by Governor Aminu Tambuwal would bend the rule to favour Obaseki.

In an interview with The Guardian yesterday, Ologbondiyan made the comments in reaction to complaints by some forces within the Edo PDP who alleged that Obaseki was accepted into the party without due consultation.

The Edo PDP chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, in a carnival-like atmosphere in Benin at the weekend, received Obaseki who joined the PDP following his disqualification by All Progressives Congress (APC) from its governorship primary election.

But despite the warmth with which Obaseki was received, some stakeholders in the PDP, though welcome the defection, are displeased he joined PDP without them being carried along.

The aggrieved members also resented Obaseki’s welcome remark in which he allegedly claimed that with his taking up membership of the PDP, he would automatically become the leader of the party in the state.

Sources said that Obaseki’s pronouncement confirmed that he would be imposed on the party. “What the governor said was very revealing and disturbing. Who joins a party and automatically becomes the leader? Even if that is what will be, Obaseki should have been more discreet.”

Ologbodiyan however said there was nothing ambiguous about Obaseki’s joining the PDP since he applied through his ward to the local government and the state executive and his form was passed to the national headquarters for final approval and waivers to contest.