PDP South-South Zone wades into Edo party crisis

Uchechukwu Olisah, Benin City - 25.05.2008

The South-South Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has waded into the lingering crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the party, with a view to resolving it. The party said within the next two weeks, all the issues involved would be sorted out and a resolution reached.

The PDP South-South Zone National Vice Chairman, Chief Edet Okon Nkpubre, made this known at the weekend when he and other zonal officers of the party paid a solidarity visit to Edo State Governor, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor in his office in Benin City .

This came just as Governor Osunbor described the solidarity visit as highly encouraging and motivating, saying the state PDP would come out better and stronger when the misunderstanding would have been over because, as he put it, “nobody of substance in Edo State can stand up publicly in AC (Action Congress) and say he is AC.”

Besides, the PDP South-South Zone national vice chairman said that they had invited the two factions involved in the intra-party squabbles in the state to present their positions, which he said had been done.

Chief Nkpubre admitted that the factions did not come out with a clear position, a development, which according to him, had necessitated the intervention of the party at both the zonal and the national levels.

“The PDP has the capacity to resolve crisis. Give us two weekend we will resolve the crisis. If you don’t abide by our position, we move forward; the party must move forward. You don’t rule as a faction; you don’t win election as a faction; you win as a unit.”