Barely 24 hours after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) released its timetable for the Edo State 2024 governorship election, some party leaders called for the resignation of Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, the party’s state chairman, over comments in a viral video that appear to show him pledging his support for an Edo Central candidate for the party.
The leaders said his actions were similar to those of the party’s former National Chairman, Dr. Iyorcha Ayu, who openly praised former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, for stepping down for the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on the eve of the party’s presidential primaries.
In the video, Aziegbemi is heard encouraging a crowd of PDP supporters, “It is now time to keep our eyes on the ball.” From now on, we must all queue behind the governor so that we may make the proper choice, and the PDP must remain in Osadebey Avenue and ensure that that person, that man or woman, is of Esan descent.”
Mr Martins Osakue, speaking on behalf of the party’s leaders in Oredo local government area, stated, “It just proved what I said last week that Aziegbemi is a landlord who has abdicated his position.” I know that even before Obaseki’s victory, Aziegbemi had his own agenda to impeach those who put him in power, and this is what we have seen.
“The tendency is that you blame the governor for everything but if Aziegbemi has stood like a chairman and stood for everybody, will this crisis escalate to this level? Our position, those of us in Oredo is that we want a free and fair exercise but the chairman has said that the thing must go to a particular place, he has compromised his position so we are saying that he should resign honorably, in the absence of that, the NWC should deal with the deputy chairman, that is why you have the Deputy Chairman. This is what has happened in the case of the National Secretary so we appeal to the NWC to do the needful. If Aziegbemi refuses to recuse himself from the exercise, they should remove him from the scene, he should just be an onlooker.”
Reacting to the call, Aziegbemi said
“That is democracy in action. I was actually talking about the wish that the next governor would come from Edo Central. The delegates will determine where the candidate will ultimately come from. It is my personal wish which is premised on the spirit of the Edo in us; fairness, equity and justice.”