Edo PDP crisis deepened as Wike’s loyalists elect parallel state executive.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the lingering crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has taken a new turn as loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, elected a parallel state executive led by Nosa Ogieva.
Ogieva and 13 others, under the banner of the Legacy Group, were inaugurated during the group’s 2025 State Congress held in Benin City. Out of the 14 executive positions, 11 were returned unopposed, while Tony Aziegbemi, Henry Tenebe, and Victor Enoghama contested for the offices of State Chairman, Secretary, and Deputy Chairman respectively.
ALSO: ADC Accuses Tinubu of Insensitivity Amid Worsening Insecurity
According to the organisers, the congress was attended by 576 delegates from the 192 wards across the state.
In his acceptance speech, Ogieva vowed to rebuild and reposition the PDP in Edo State, pledging to restore unity and strengthen the party’s electoral base.
“Our emergence marks a new chapter for the Edo PDP. We will not betray this mandate. Our goal is to rebrand the party and make it a winning force again,” he declared.
Leader of the Legacy Group and former PDP National Vice Chairman (South-South), Chief Dan Orbih, accused former Governor Godwin Obaseki of causing the division within the party.
“The PDP in Edo was united until Obaseki’s defection, which sowed seeds of discord and left the umbrella torn and shattered,” Orbih alleged.
He further blamed Obaseki’s leadership for the PDP’s poor performance in recent by-elections, citing it as proof of his declining popularity.
“For the first time in our history, governors, senators, and lawmakers are dumping the PDP daily due to failed leadership,” he lamented.
Orbih also dismissed the rival faction loyal to Obaseki as “undertakers praying for the PDP to collapse so they can join the ADC.”
He urged party members to rally behind leaders with integrity and capacity, insisting that those who undermine the collective interest of members have no place in the restructured PDP.