Obaseki to reconcile with Edo State PDP

Governor Godwin Obaseki, in a bid to resolve the crisis in the Edo State chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), has met with the leadership of the party.

According to sources, the move was aimed at dousing rising tensions created by the negative reactions that greeted his recent meeting with some leaders of PDP where it was resolved that the party executive would be dissolved to accommodate his All Progressives Congress (APC) loyalists.

Reports however indicated that Obaseki might have reconsidered the move after meeting with State Working Committee (SWC) at Government House, Benin City on Wednesday.
The meeting was held in the newly renovated governor’s office where Governor Obaseki reportedly expressed his unhappiness over the SWC’s position, which he said, was “too hard” on him.

He was said to have appealed to them that contrary to insinuations, he was not taking them for granted and that he remained grateful to the PDP for giving him the platform for his re-election after his face-off with the APC.

Obaseki was also said to have told the SWC members that he had been receiving calls from his counterparts across the country and business associates, who expressed concern that he was falling out with the party that brought him back to power.

A source said: “The meeting was cordial. The governor convened the meeting where he appealed for calm. He told us that he has been receiving calls from across the country over the development.

“The meeting ended well and he wants us to suggest the way forward, which is expected to be forwarded to him on Friday (today).”

Obaseki has said the state government is deploying technology to check insecurity, urging residents to offer relevant information that will assist the government in protecting the life and property of citizens.
 
He stated this when the Muslim faithful visited him at Government House, Benin City, on the sidelines of the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.
 
Urging Nigerians to refrain from stoking the embers of disunity and disaffection, he said: “The biggest problem in Nigeria today is disaffection. The world is changing, but people refuse to change, they will rather cause disaffection and point to the disunity of the country.”

He enjoined Nigerians to explore their uniqueness that made the country great, insisting that there was nothing wrong with the nation’s diversity, as it was important and beneficial.

On his part, Chief Imam of Benin Central Mosque, Alhaji Abdulfattah Enabulele said: “Edo remains one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria and I urge all of us to guard it jealously.”