From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The negative reactions that trailed the outcome of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s meeting with some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party last Saturday, Wenesday forced another meeting of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party with Obaseki in Government House in Benin City.
Recall that at the meeting with the party leaders, it was resolved that the leadership of the party from the ward to the state level would dissolved to accommodate Obaaseki’s loyalists who came with him from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The decision did not go down well with members of the party’s SWC, who after an expanded meeting of the state executives wrote the national leadership of the party protesting alleged plot to dissolve leadership of the party from ward, local government area and state levels and also complained about the delay in the appointment of commissioners.
In the strongly worded letter to the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, they alleged that Obaseki was being misled by three categories of people in the party which they identified as aspirants for 2023 and 2024 elections, members of the party who lost during the party’s congresses and alleged godfathers they said came with the governor from the APC to the PDP but who refused to register into the PDP in their wards.
But at the Wednesday meeting which held in the newly renovated governor’s office, Obaseki was said to calmed the party executives and expressed his unhappiness over the position of the SWC which he described as “too hard” on him.
He reportedly appealed to them that contrary to insinuation, he is not taking them for granted and that he remained grateful to the PDP for giving him the platform for his re-election after falling out with his former party, the APC.
Besides, he reportedly told the SWC members that he has been receiving calls from his colleague governors across the country and business associates who were expressing their concern that he was falling out with the party that brought him back to power so soon.
“The meeting was cordial; it was called by the governor where he appealed for calm. He told us that he has been receiving calls all over the country over the development. The meeting ended well and he wants us to bring our suggestions on the way forward which is expected to be forwarded to him on Friday”, a source at the meeting disclosed yesterday.