SIMON EBEGBULEM
BENIN CITY-THE leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Edo state, yesterday, challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to disclose the evidence that Governor Adams Oshiomhole begged to join the party or shut up forever.

This comes as the leadership of the party read riot act to all its elected council chairmen, warning that they must reciprocate the developmental strides of the Governor in their respective councils and absolute loyalty to the leadership of the party or be sanctioned.

The state chairman of the party and former Speaker of the Edo state House of Assembly, Mr Thomas Okosun, who declared this during a meeting with the chairmen in Benin City yesterday, said the PDP was deceiving themselves by alleging what he described as “their normal story telling”, asserting that they lack what the Comrade Governor will beg for, particularly when it comes to the politics of Edo state today”.

He insisted that the PDP failed in the just concluded Local Government election because they were not in touch with the people, saying “it is funny because they only exist on the pages of Newspapers in Abuja but nowhere to be found in Edo state”.

While stressing the need for the elected chairmen to be disciplined and sincere to the people, Okosun reminded that “the reason why we are celebrating victory today is because of the performance of the Comrade Governor and that is exactly what we demand from you as chairmen. We will entertain no excuses for failure. You must be disciplined, the party has remained united till today due to discipline in the party”.

He admonished them to carry everybody along, “ even those that did not vote for you or never supported your nomination. It is a shame that the PDP is crying over an elected that is adjudged as the freest and fairest we have ever witnessed in this state. Most of us were in the PDP before and we knew that Local Government elected was never conducted. When PDP was in power, they only supply 30 per cent of the voting materials and keep 70 per cent in the houses of leaders.

“Some areas there will be no supply of materials at all and results will be written. They are only trying to deceive their colleagues in Abuja that they are relevant here but the PDP is dead in Edo. we don’t need to rig election to win. Look at what the PDP did in Bayelsa, Kogi and other areas, non of the opposition political parties won a single seat.

“It is only in Edo that we saw the PDP winning in some wards yet they are opening their mouth to shout in Abuja. PDP can never win election again in Edo state because our people have rejected them. our performance will continue to speak for us and God will bless the Comrade Governor for his leadership qualities” he stated.

Responding, the chairman of Ikpoba Okhai Local Government Council, Mrs Itohan Ogbeide, commended the leadership of the party for their assistance and fatherly love extended to every party member. She pledged their total loyalty to the party, just as she assured that they will continue the developmental strides of the Comrade Governor at the Local level.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/05/provide-evidence-that-oshiomhole-begged-to-join-pdp-or-shut-edo-acn/

This cracked me up- "or shut up forever"