By METROWATCH
Former Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Francis Okiye, today dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) citing exclusion of the majority of his constituents and supporters across the state by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Okiye joins another former speaker of the state assembly and a top PDP leader in Edo north, Rt. Hon. Kabiru Adjoto, who had earlier moved to the APC with his supporters.
Other bigwig that resigned from the party this week are Barrister Vincent Akhere, Prince Godwin Ebosele and Hon. Goodluck Okuariobo.
Akhere is a former commissioner for arts, culture and tourism as well as a one-time local government chairman and several other positions in the state under the PDP.
Hon. Okhuariobo, a respected leader in Oredo Ward 1, also during decamped from the PDP to the APC with his teeming supporters.
Again, a PDP secretary in Esan North LGA, Prince Godwin Ebosele two days resigned from the party.
Earlier, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees and a heavyweight in the Edo State chapter of the party, Samson Idahosa also resigned from the party
Another bigwig that left the party this week is Hon. Felix Akhabue, citing injustice by the party’s leadership as one of the reasons he dumped it.
Akhabue, who participated in the last governorship primary in the state as an aspirant, said: “My decision to resign is born out of the prejudicial activities of the party’s leadership against my fair, reasonable and continuous participation as a member of the party”.
The Edo PDP has been embroiled in factional battle involving the Legacy Group led by Chief Dan Orbih and Obaseki’s group led by the governor.
The Legacy group, arguably, control 60+ percent of the party’s membership in the state. The group has also vowed to work against the party’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.
Ighodalo and his running mate, Ogie, who is currently secretary to government (SSG) Edo State, are Obaseki’s nominees for the governorship candidacy of the party ahead the election slated for September 21, 2024.
