The purported move by Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State to anoint a successor who will fly the flag of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s governorship election may have hit a brick wall as the leadership of the party in the state have rejected it and resolved to shop for another candidate.
Secretary to the Edo State chapter of the PDP, Hon Hilary Otsu who disclosed this in a chat with journalists in Abuja, said though Obaseki was yet to unveil his choice candidate, there were indications that the nominee might be a political green horn who cannot win the election.
The party’s scribe said that Obaseki does not have the goodwill required to promote an unpopular candidate, adding that the electorate will not vote for any candidate fielded by him for the 2024 gubernatorial election in the state.
Otsu alleged that most of the candidates fielded by the governor during the 2023 general elections were unknown personalities, leading to the loses the party suffered in their various constituencies.
“Legacy Group will nominate a Governor and Deputy of our choice and PDP will become much stronger. Trust me, most of Gov. Obaseki’s closest political allies have echoed it that Edo State will never accept another stranger to govern its people.
“Gov. Obaseki does not have the kind of goodwill needed to promote an unknown stranger in Edo State. When Oshiomole did it with him, Oshiomole had optimal goodwill and acceptance. If Edo people are given a choice today, they will vote against any candidate that Gov. Obaseki supports,” he said.
He explained that many of the voters who followed all that transpired leading to the emergence of Obaseki’s candidates worked and voted against them by supporting the candidates of other parties.
“That’s why you see that in many places they gave support to APC candidates and in some, to Labour Party candidates, leading to unprecedented victories for those parties. For example PDP has never lost Edo Central and South Senatorial seats before, but a Labour Party candidate swept the Edo South Senate seat, after leaving PDP for LP just a few months to the election,” he said.
