Edo PDP crisis deepens as Dan Orbih accuses Governor Obaseki of tearing the party apart, prompting bitter division and rival congresses in Edo State
Edo PDP crisis continues to escalate, with rival factions of the party locked in a bitter war of words over the legitimacy of recent congresses held in the state.
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On Sunday, Dan Orbih, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) National Vice Chairman (South-South), launched a scathing attack on former Governor Godwin Obaseki, accusing him of “destroying” the Edo chapter of the party.
Orbih made the remarks during a factional congress that elected Nosa Ogieva as chairman, just weeks after Obaseki’s camp held its own congress on 27 September, producing Tony Aziegbemi as chairman.
“Obaseki destroyed our party,” Orbih declared. “He sowed deep-rooted seeds of discord. He sinned against the party, the people, and the state.”
The Edo PDP crisis traces its roots back to 2020, when Obaseki defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP after a fallout with former Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
Since then, his presence has created internal fractures, with long-time members accusing him of sidelining the party’s grassroots structure.
Orbih claimed that Obaseki’s approach to party leadership eroded the unity that once defined the PDP in Edo. “Today, our party’s umbrella is shattered.
What held us together was destroyed by Obaseki,” he said, adding that members loyal to Obaseki “lack the moral authority” to speak for the party.
In response, the Obaseki-aligned faction, led by Aziegbemi, rejected the legitimacy of Orbih’s congress. Publicity Secretary Dan Osa-Ogbegie described the event as a “charade” orchestrated by *“disgruntled former members” seeking relevance.
“No official from the PDP National Working Committee authorised Dan Orbih’s so-called congress,” Osa-Ogbegie stated. “It was nothing more than political theatre.”
The infighting has left the Edo PDP crisis at a dangerous impasse. With both camps claiming authentic leadership, and national intervention still absent, the situation may be heading to the courts for resolution before the next National PDP Congress.
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As the struggle intensifies, the once-powerful state chapter finds itself at a political crossroads, its future uncertain and its unity in tatters.
