The internal crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took another dramatic turn on Tuesday as a faction of the party dismissed a list of local government coordinators released by the Tony Aziegbemi-led caretaker committee, describing it as illegal, misleading, and a plot to derail the forthcoming congresses.
In a strongly worded statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of the PDP Edo State Caretaker Committee, Bob-Manuel Umoru, the faction urged party members and the general public to disregard the purported list, insisting that it neither represents the collective decision of the party nor aligns with its leadership direction.
According to Umoru, the list amounts to nothing more than “a concoction designed to mislead, distract, and further divide.” He accused Aziegbemi and his associates of parading “a shameless compilation of individuals who, time and again, have failed to deliver even in their own units, wards, and LGAs.”
The statement further alleged that Tony Aziegbemi has become “a political trader” with “dual allegiance between the PDP and ADC,” a situation the faction claimed disqualifies him from any claim to genuine leadership. The involvement of Henry Tenebe in issuing statements on behalf of the party was also ridiculed, with Umoru questioning his legitimacy. “How can a man who cannot even convene a meeting in his own ward presume to speak for the PDP or sign off on official matters? Worse still, he presides over a gathering of displaced political fellows now assembling in the ADC,” the statement read.
While affirming that the PDP in Edo is indeed preparing for its congresses, Umoru stressed that the exercise will not involve what he described as “recycled failures paraded by Aziegbemi and Tenebe.” He reassured party faithful that the PDP “is never in short supply of credible, competent, and committed manpower to carry out its critical functions.”
In a particularly scathing rebuke, the statement suggested that if Aziegbemi and Tenebe were so desperate to act as “undertakers,” they should “channel their hunger and energy towards a mortuary, where their services as jobless pallbearers may be better appreciated.”
The faction concluded by reaffirming its resolve that “the future of our great party cannot and will not be determined by failed leaders or political mercenaries.”
The latest development underscores the widening rift within the Edo PDP as preparations intensify for the crucial ward, local government, and state congresses. Observers fear the deepening division may weaken the party’s cohesion ahead of future electoral contests.
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