Tony Osauzo, Benin

The Edo State chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, has condemned the internal crisis in the state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), saying that it is robbing the people the dividends of democracy.

‎He stated this at Fugar in Etsako Central Local Government Area of the state in continuation of the PDP sensitisation rally for the forthcoming party primaries

“The APC instead of giving us good governance, are busy fighting and killing themselves. In this local government, if you find any gathering like this, another faction will come to drive them away. We don’t need this kind of situation in our state and the only solution to put an end to this political peculiar mess is to vote PDP back to government,” he said.

Orbih challenged the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to declare the indebtedness of the state to the people of Edo before and after he assumed power at Government House, Benin, adding that‎ he had it on good authority that Edo State is the second most-indebted state in Nigeria.

As a result of the alleged high indebtedness of the state, he urged all the PDP aspirants warming up for the governorship primary to prepare their mind for hard times at Government House because they are going to inherit empty treasury.

“I want to challenge Governor Godwin Obaseki to disclose the state of indebtedness to the people of the state. Indebtedness at the time he took over power and as at today but somebody whispered to me that he has record to show that as at today, Edo is the second most indebted state in Nigeria.

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“That is why am calling on all our governorship aspirants to be prepared for hard times because they are going to inherit an empty treasury. We must show that we have all it takes to turn around the economy of our state and we know with all the aspirants that we have, the best is yet to come,” he said.

The PDP chairman said the party already has an array of talented and well-qualified aspirants who are jostling for the race to Osadebey Avenue, adding even with that, the best is yet to come.

“The present governorship aspirants in the PDP are a crop of young men who have what it takes to rule this state. But I want to use this occasion to send a very strong message to our governorship aspirants that as they prepare for the governorship primaries, they must put at the back of their minds that by the time PDP is back to government, they are going to face a very serious problem because they are going to inherit an empty treasury,” he said.

He sympathised with the victims of various fire incidents in Benin the state capital, promising that when PDP comes back to government, the state will have functional fire-fighting equipment.

“What the government is using in fighting their internal crisis is enough to buy fire-fighting equipment for our fire brigades. To the victims, I want to assure you that by the time the PDP comes back to government, we will have functional fire-fighting equipment.

“We want to let our brothers and sisters in Benin City know that we are very much with them on the recent fire incidents at different markets in Benin City. We want to use this opportunity to call on the state government to do something urgent so that they can put a permanent check to these fire incidents.

“A lot of people have lost so much in these markets and I believe I will be speaking with your authority to call on Governor Obaseki to direct the resources of our state to finding solutions to the problems of the state; let them come out an end their internal crisis,” Orbih said.