Edo: PDP NWC reaffirms Aziegbemi-led leadership amidst factional rift

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed the Tony Aziegbemi-led Caretaker Committee as the authentic leadership of the party in Edo State, dismissing recent moves by a factional group led by Dan Orbih to establish a parallel structure.

In an official statement issued on Thursday, the NWC described the reports of a rival leadership as “misrepresentations” and emphasised that the Aziegbemi-led committee remains the only recognised authority overseeing the party’s affairs in the state.

“For emphasis and avoidance of doubt, the NWC states that the Edo State Chapter of the PDP is under the leadership of the Hon. Tony Aziegbemi-led Caretaker Committee,” the statement read.

The committee, the NWC explained, was duly constituted on 6 February 2025, in accordance with the party’s constitution and given a 90-day mandate.

The party urged its members, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, the media, and the public to disregard any contrary claims.

This declaration follows a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday, when Orbih, a factional leader and former South-South PDP National Vice Chairman, inaugurated a parallel PDP secretariat in Benin City.

The new office is located in the former campaign headquarters of ex-Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Orbih’s action is widely seen as a challenge to the legitimacy of the Aziegbemi-led committee, which has been operating from a temporary location after being forcefully evicted from the state PDP secretariat in January by APC’s Acting State Chairman, Jarret Tenebe.

In his address at the inauguration, Orbih lambasted the Aziegbemi-led faction, accusing them of colluding with former Governor Godwin Obaseki to destroy the PDP in Edo.

“These individuals have no standing in the PDP. They are pretenders… masqueraders and undertakers,” Orbih declared.

Despite the tensions, the NWC commended party leaders, stakeholders, and members in the state for their cooperation with the Aziegbemi committee, calling on them to continue working for the unity and success of the PDP in Edo.

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