Barely three months and three weeks to the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, Clement Aziegbemi, the younger brother of the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi has dumped the party.
DAILY POST reports that Abass Momoh Jega, a former lawmaker, who represented the Etsako East constituency in the State House of Assembly also dumped the party.
Jega was a former commissioner for Works and Utilities, commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Development during the short period of Governor Oserhiemen Osunbor and also a leader of the party in Etsako East Local Government Area.
Other PDP faithful that dumped the party alongside the duo are Monday Ihama, former Chairman Ovia South West Local Government Area Council and former PDP State Secretary, Kemi Aimufua, former Chairperson, Ovia South West, former Aspirant, Edo State House of Assembly, Ovia South West constituency, and Assistant Woman Leader of the local government, and A. Adeche, former youth leader of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.
In their separate letters of resignation addressed to their various ward chairmen, local government chairmen, senatorial leaders and state chairman of the party, the resignees hinged their decision to the division and disunity in the party.
Aziegbemi, in his letter dated May 30, 2024, said he resigned from the Party because of the crisis, noting that the crisis had been worsened by the willingness of Ighodalo to walk with new fellows outside those who worked for his emergence as a candidate.
Aziegbemi who also served as a spokesperson to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, opined that the massive defection of members from the PDP is largely due to the conquest attitude of the Partly leadership.
He posited that the leadership lacked inclusivity of members into appointments in the state that the party loyalists worked for, yet they were abandoned for new entrants.
“The old PDP members, to whom I belong, have suffered a great deal at the hands of the party leadership and those in government. Both the governor and the party’s candidate have failed to address these issues, begging for attention.
“If this ugly development continues, it will be extremely difficult for the party to win any local government seats in Edo State’s September 21, 2024, governorship election.
“Another disturbing issue is the seeming hijack of the PDP governorship candidate by a gang of political jobbers, as against those of us who laboured for him to emerge as the candidate of the Party.
“Kindly consider this as my resignation from every party responsibility, including my position as one of the spokespersons to the governorship candidate. “Also, this serves as a formal resignation as a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Edo State, His Excellency Godwin Obaseki”, he said.
On his party, Abass Momoh Jega attributed his resignation to the alleged deceit and total disregard being the current order of the day within the party, claiming he found it extremely difficult to continue to belong to such an assemblage of persons.
According to him, ”I write to inform you that after extensive consultation with my family. friends, followers and constituents, I have come to the irrevocable decision that all my followers and myself have to resign from the Peoples Democratic Party immediately.
“I do hereby resign my membership of the party with immediate effect. It is very clear to me that since the emergence of the new leadership in the party in 2020 it has metamorphosed from a disciplined, well-directed party into a party that lacks discipline, respect and total disregard for party leaders and rules of engagement known to the party since 1999 when I became a key player and financier of the party in my Local Government Area.
“I also recall with nostalgia how I led Mr Governor on his campaign tour to Ward 6, Imiekuri, Okpella during the 2020 governorship election campaign and the promise he made to the people that if he does not construct their impassable road within two years of his assumption of office, he should not be called their Governor again.
“I remember him saying, “If within two years of my assumption of office, I do not construct this your road, do not call me your governor again”, he added.
DAILY POST recalls that several chieftains and members of the PDP have resigned from the party and defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Among those who resigned and defected to APC, are Felix Akhabue, former commissioner and chairman of Esan West local government, Madam Aisosa Amadasun, former state chairman of APC, PDP and candidate for the Oredo West constituency on the platform of PDP in the 2023 election. Also was Frank Okiye, former Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, and former executive chairman of 18 local government areas among others.
