A State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting called by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday was boycotted by the members of the Legacy Coalition, a faction made up of members loyal to the national vice chairman South-South, Chief Dan Orbih and others who defected with Governor Godwin Obaseki from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2020.
A statement issued by the state secretary of the party, Hilary Otsu, dated November 28, 2023 reads: “Dear Edo PDP leaders, it has come to my notice that a certain notice of meeting has been sent to leaders of our party.
“Kindly note that the constitution empowers only the secretary of the party to call meetings. This purported notice, carrying an unverifiable printed signature, is being circulated by mischief makers who intend to cause confusion and further divide the party.
“I have not abdicated my responsibility to the party, so I advise you to ignore this invite as the party will not take kindly to such acts of sabotage, going forward,” Otsu said.
But the PDP in a statement yesterday signed by its assistant secretary, Luckson Ogedegbe, said the party has commenced registration of new members, directing the State Working Committee (SWC) to drive the timetable for the primary election.
He said the decision was taken at a meeting of leaders of the party all over the state which had 89 of the 120 expected.
Ogedegbe said key decisions were taken during exhaustive deliberations on issues affecting the party in the state.
The statement reads, “The SEC mandated the SWC to drive the time table of the coming governorship primary as released by the NWC.
“The SEC mandated all ward chairmen to open the party registers in their various wards and commence the registration of new members starting 30th, November, 2023.
“The SEC mandated the SWC to direct any ward where registration does not start by Friday 1st December 2023, to open a new register.
“The SEC directed that all ward registers must be submitted to the State Secretariat at 59 Airport road, Benin not later than the 6th of December 2023 for onward submission to the National Headquarters, Abuja.
„The SEC directed that all activities of the party must be carried out in the various ward party secretariats. The SEC directed the SWC to set up committees in the LGAs and wards to monitor the party registration exercise,“ he added.
