Osunbor's faction rejects PDP peace deal, Anenih urges truce
From John-Abba Ogbodo, Abuja

THE crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may linger on as the faction loyal to Governor Oserhiemen Osunbor rejected the peace formula from the party's national secretariat. It said that the arrangement conferred undue advantage on the former chairman of PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), Chief Anthony Anenih.



"We totally reject everything that has been said here. If you want election, come and meet us in Edo State. We have just seen and heard a script which we have heard many, many times before now. In Benin City, if you phone somebody now, he will read to you that very thing that has been kept as secret for a very long time.

"In any case, we want to tell you, Mr. chairman, that we totally reject, repeat, I reject everything that has been said here. If you want do election or congress, come and meet us in Benin City. Thank you." This was the reaction of the Osunbor's faction, led by former military governor of old Bendel State, Samuel Ogbemudia after the PDP national Chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor had spoken on the position of the National Working Committee (NWC) on the crisis in the state.

At the end of the meeting, all the parties proceeded to the conference hall opposite the national chairman's office for the meeting. Ogbulafor, in his opening remarks, commended all the parties for the efforts being made to restore peace in the state chapter, stressing that PDP would not like to lose Edo to another political party. He reiterated that without peace in the state, there would be no progress. Going biblical, Ogbulafor noted that even in the bible, the emergence of Matthias was through election, an indication that there was politics in biblical times. 'I will not like Edo to go to another political party.

Ogbulafor said he had consulted widely and the position of the leadership of the party was that the Anenih faction should be allowed to produce a new chairman for the state while the two controversial candidates on both sides-Edward Sado and Dan Orbih for Osunbor and Anenih stood disqualified.

He asked the deputy national chairman to read out the other details which appeared to have conceded the chairmanship position at the ward and local council levels in the areas where the governor has strong hold to Anenih's faction.

At the state level, the Anenih group was given chairmanship, treasurer, publicity secretary, financial secretary, woman leader, state vice chairman (south) state vice chairman (north) assistant secretary, assistant publicity secretary and organising secretary. On the state governor's side, they had deputy chairman, state secretary, state organising secretary, youth leader, auditor, legal adviser, state vice chairman, central, two assistant secretaries, assistant financial secretary, assistant organising secretary and assistant legal adviser.

At the end of the announcement, which was punctuated at intervals with protest, Akhigbe, who said he did not belong to any faction, faulted the party and urged the leaders of the party to cancel the outcome of the last congress because the formula worked out by the party would not work.

Curiously, immediately after the meeting, Anenih arrived at the party secretariat and held a closed-door meeting with Ogbulafor for about 30 minutes.

Later, he offered to abide with the decision of the party's leadership.

He said: "No sacrifice is too great to be made, particularly by those of us who are foundation members of the party in the interest of millions of our party men and women.

"I appeal to all party members in Edo State to accept the decision of the PDP party and ensure that efforts are made to strengthen the party because of the numerous challenges ahead. It is my sincere hope that the party will now be repositioned to enable the governor perform his executive duties."
http://odili.net/news/source/2008/jun/18/31.html

PDP is a disgrace to the country.The PDP national representative where present at the congress that led to the emerges of the State executive.Why was the congress  allowed when they know it will not survive the Anenih;s palace arrangements?

How my political opponents misinformed IGP —Osunbor
Written by Simon Ebegbulem
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
GOVERNOR Oserhiemen Osunbor of Edo State, narrated weekend how his political opponents in the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), informed the Inspector- General of Police, Mr Mike Okiro that he imported militants and thugs from the Niger Delta to Abuja to burn down the National Secretariat of the party.
The governor who spoke at a meeting of the leaders of the party from the three senatorial districts weekend, said that following the report by some persons in the party to the national leadership of the party, that he does not have followers, his supporters therefore decided to storm Abuja but unfortunately were labelled thugs and militants in order to humiliate them.

Governor Osunbor who was reacting to the arrest and detention of some of his supporters who travelled to Abuja last week for the meeting called by the national chairman of the party, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor to reconcile his faction of the party in the state and that of the former chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, described the incident as unfortunate and thanked God for revealing the truth at the end of the day.

According to him “ very sadly we are in a season of lies upon lies, deception upon deception, misrepresentation galore and that has to change, the people must know that truth.

The truth is that I have strong political supporters in Edo State and the national leadership knows that now. However, I am not saying that the support of any body is useless because no one can do it alone but we have to say the truth at all times.

“What they said was that we were importing thugs and militants from the Niger Delta to come and burn down the National Secretariat.

The IG called and said let me even speak to one of the militants and the person who answered the phone was a retired High Court Judge and he turned to me and said, is that the people they are calling militants. And certainly a retired High Court Judge cannot be a thug or a militant” he stated.

The governor added that the proposal given to them by the Chief Ogbulafor was unacceptable to him and informed his supporters that Mr. Sado still remains the chairman of the party.

Former Deputy Senate President of the Senate, Senator Albert Legogie, Elder Sunny Uyugue, Chief Okoroh and Dr. Francis Iyasere condemned the decision of the National Chairman and backed the Governor in the protest.

Uyugue and Iyasere declared that “the paper which the chairman even read to us was not signed and has no letter head, he is on his own. It is just a proposal and we reject it in its entirety.

We support the Governor in this matter because one person cannot always determine what happens in this state.

We are fighting for our political liberation and we thank God the Governor id leading us successfully”.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10910&Itemid=44

PDP, People Deceive People, Why get worked up over the affairs of the PDP. Is it really worth it? I'm not surprised to see PDP in Edo State disgracing themselves. This started right from day one.