Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youths have threatened to hold parallel congresses and primaries over alleged plot to impose candidates on the party by the leadership.
The youths threat was coming ahead of the January 15 date for the party’s congresses in which Odion Ugbesia and Fred Okah are said to be contenders for state chairman to replace Dan Orbih, whose tenure ends in March.
Consequently, some of the youths have threatened to hold parallel congresses and primaries if the processes were biased, warning the outgoing state executive, led by Orbih, against any plot to impose party chairman on the party.
The PDP youths said they raised the alarm because the party might lost its chances to win the Edo governorship election.
Coordinator of the PDP youths under the auspices of PDP Youths for Justice, Musa Kadiri, accused Orbih of positioning Ugbesia to take over from him.
Kadiri, therefore, called on the party leader, Lucky Igbinedion, to intervene to ensure the earlier agreement of no zoning principle is maintained.
In his reaction, Orbih said the Edo PDP has no support group with such name.
State Publicity Secretary of the party, Chris Nehikhare, who spoke for the chairman, described the group and Kadiri as faceless and unknown to the party.
Nehikhare said the PDP local government chairman in Edo North and Edo South have gone to pledge support for Ugbesia.