Just In: Governor Obaseki Loses as INEC Takes Crucial Decision on Edo PDP Crisis

• Governor Obaseki's efforts to secure the control of the PDP's structure in Edo state have suffered a huge setback
• This is as INEC on Tuesday, September 20, recognised the candidates produced by Dan Orbih-led faction of the party
• The PDP in Edo state is divided into two factions: one led by Obaseki and the other led by Orbih who is the party's national vice chairman (South South)

Benin City, Edo state - The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recognised the candidates produced by the Chief Dan Orbih-led faction of the Edo state PDP in the primary conducted in May.

This implies that the other faction led by Governor Godwin Obaseki has lost out in the battle to control the structure of the PDP in the south-south state.

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Both factions had held different primaries that produced candidates for different elective positions.

However, INEC on Tuesday, September 20, posted on the notice board at its headquarters in Benin City, the Edo State capital, the list of the candidates for the 2023 elections.

According to The Punch, the list contains the names of those who emerged winners at the primaries conducted by the Orbih’s faction.

Legit.ng gathers that INEC in the published list remarked that its action was ordered by the court.

The Edo state chapter of the PDP has been engulfed in a supremacy battle between Governor Obaseki’s faction and the faction led by Orbih who is the party's national vice chairman (South South) leading to the conduct of parallel primaries in May this year.

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Speaking on the development, the PDP secretary in the state, Hillary Otsu, said the list released by INEC is the state’s authentic list, Daily Trust reported.

“Yes, that is the authentic list and that is the candidates of the party’s primaries monitored by INEC and we don’t have any objection to it,” he said.

Four top PDP chieftains defect to APC

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that four top PDP mobilisers and over 100 other members of the party in the Ovia Northeast local government area of Edo state defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, June 24.

Led by the party’s former youth leader in the local government area, Godwin Igbinosun, the defectors said they decided to join the APC because of the performance of the lawmaker representing Ovia Federal Constituency, Dennis Idahosa, and the crisis in the state chapter of the PDP.

Speaking on behalf of the decampees who were received by Idahosa and Oscar Aghedo, the Local government chairman of APC, at Okokuo ward of Ovia North East, Igbinosun vowed to ensure the election of all candidates of the APC in the 2023 general elections.

Source: Legit.ng