Re: A House Divided Against Itself – How Obaseki, Lost Edo
How the Obaseki/Orbih Feud Ended
A response to Chief Hilary Otsu by Amb. Tony Okonigene ANIVS, RSV
“The defeat of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State was largely predicated on the internal rancour that bedeviled the state chapter of the party.
Senator Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC defeated the PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo by 291,667 votes to 247,274 votes. The Labour Party’s candidate, Olumide Akpata came a distant third with 22,763 votes.
For a state that had been ruled by the PDP, the election was seen as a referendum on the outgoing administration headed by Governor Godwin Obaseki.”
The above quotes were the exact unedited words of Chief Hilary Otsu, the erstwhile State Secretary of the PDP in Edo State. Hilary Otsu has been absent from office for the past two and half years because of the crisis that has riddled the state chapter of the party. He is one of the few that have refused to be reconciled despite all attempts by well meaning stakeholders of the party to bring everyone together. For him and his co-travelers, the PDP in Edo State, a party that has given them political succor and wealth for years, must be destroyed because they are no longer in charge.
First and foremost, I must say that the PDP did not loose the just concluded 2024 Edo governorship election. In fact,, the PDP has never performed so well with a winning margin that is unprecedented. The PDP, by the official polling units results uploaded real time into the INEC IREV, comfortably won 11 out of the 18 local governments in Edo state (7 in Edo South, 3 in Edo Central and 1 in Edo North). The facts will be revealed in the coming days.
Never in the history of electioneering in Nigeria was so much brute force by the police and bizarre compromise by the umpire ( INEC), been deployed as was done during the 2024 Edo governorship Election.
Members of the PDP were picked up in gestapo manner by a deadly squad set up by a partisan IGP . APC governors led by the Senate President, invaded Edo State on Election Day with over 3000 security details to give effect to the pronouncement by Mr President that he as Commander in Chief will GIVE Edo State back to the APC. So much money was deployed to induce and mock the voters who have been impoverished by the wicked policies of the APC led Federal Government.
In the midst of all these and after the manipulations and manufacturing of figures, the PDP, with the results declared by a compromised INEC, pulled 247,274 votes . This represents 44% of the votes cast.
The 2024 Edo governorship election was indeed a referendum by the people of Edo State concerning the Obaseki led PDP administration achievements.The endorsement was overwhelming . Never mind the uncivilized and shameful manner INEC connived with retrogressive forces to deny the people of their wishes. The referendum was a loud YES by the people for the PDP to continue in Edo State.
I strongly disagree with Chief Hilary Otsu that the exit of the likes of Chief Dan Orbih and Comrade Philip Shuaibu adversely affected the outcome of the election. First and foremost, the APC led Federal Government had taken a stance to declare the candidate of their party the winner at all cost. The Tinubu administration did not give a hoot about what anybody or group had to say.
Secondly, these political actors have never been of political value to the PDP. The party has never won any major election in their wards or zone even in the hay days of the party. Hilary’s lamentation that for the first time the PDP lost the National Assembly seats cannot be related to his ward or senatorial zone.
For obvious reasons, some persons who were fueled by external forces refused to be reconciled with the party even when Governor Obaseki and the PDP candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo visited them privately for reconciliations. They would rather take instructions from Wike who has not hidden his personal hatred for Governor Obaseki. In fact, the reason President Tinubu appointed Wike into his cabinet was because they share a common hatred for Governor Obaseki. The alignment with these forces made it impossible for the likes of Chief Dan Orbih and Rt. Hon. Ogbeide Ihama to see any reason to reconcile with Governor Obaseki even at the detriment of the party and the state.
The fact is that over 90% of the members of the Legacy group members who worked against the PDP during the National Assembly and General Elections reconciled with the party after the elections.This was made manifest during the House of Assembly and the 2024 governorship elections. The PDP won the Edo Central and Edo South senatorial districts even with their manipulations. This has always been the case. No one should subscribe to the lies that things could have been different. Hilary’s version is not the truth.
The brutal rape of our democracy orchestrated by the Tinubu led APC Federal Government aided by a desperate police IG who is supposed to have long retired from service and a helpless INEC, could not have been averted by one million Obihs, Ihamas, Shuaibus or Otsus. Only God could have stopped them and for some reasons , He chose to allow the devil and his agents to have their way for now.
