Guber Race: Crack in Edo PDP as Aziegbemi Dumps Party

Leading up to the upcoming Edo gubernatorial election, the Edo State chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) is facing a solemn atmosphere as they continue to experience the loss of influential leaders. 

The most recent departure is Clem Aziegbemi, the younger brother of the State chapter's chairman, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, who also served as a spokesperson for the PDP candidate in the forthcoming governorship election, Mr. Asue Ighodalo. 

Aziegbemi tendered his resignation in a letter to the PDP Ward 5 chairman in Esan South East Local Government Area, citing the ongoing crisis within the state chapter of the PDP as the reason for his decision. 

He expressed concerns that the crisis had escalated due to Ighodalo's willingness to align with new associates, neglecting those who had supported his candidacy.

The statement reads in part: “The cause of this massive defection of members from the PDP is largely due to the conquest attitude of the Partly Leadership that lacks inclusivity of members into appointments in the state that the party loyalists worked for, yet they were abandoned for new entrants.

“The old PDP members, to whom I belong, have suffered a great deal at the hands of the party leadership and those in government.

“Both the governor and the party’s candidate have failed to address these issues, begging for attention .

“If this ugly development continues, it will be extremely difficult for the party to win any local government seats in Edo State’s September 21, 2024, governorship election.

“Another disturbing issue is the seeming hijack of the PDP governorship candidate by a gang of political jobbers, as against those of us who laboured for him to emerge as candidate of the Party.

“Kindly consider this as my resignation from every party responsibility, including my position as one of the spokepersons to the governorship candidate.

“Also, this serves as a formal resignation as a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Edo State, His Excellency Godwin Obaseki.

“Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Hon. (Sir) Clem Aziegbemi (KSJI)