*Edo gov holds meetings with PDP colleagues, Secondus

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, was busy Wednesday putting finishing touches to his plans to pursue his re-election bid on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), This Day reports.

Obaseki, who resigned his membership from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, hours before the Court of Appeal affirmed the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, held a series of meetings with his PDP colleagues and the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

APC leaders were also busy trying to subdue the raging crisis in the party in the aftermath of Oshiomhole’s suspension as the party’s Deputy National Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom, laid claims to the leadership of the party.

Giadom, who was later suspended, broke ranks with some members of the National Working Committee (NWC), who had late Tuesday picked one of Oshiomhole’s zonal deputies, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to hold the fort for the embattled chairman.

Giadom anchored his claim to the party’s chairmanship on a March order of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.

THISDAY gathered that the PDP governors held a virtual conference with their Edo State counterpart ahead of his joining the party any time from now.

THISDAY gathered that the virtual conference Obaseki had with his PDP colleagues was chaired by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, who is also the Governor of Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal.

According to sources privy to the meeting, the PDP governors assured Obaseki of soft landing and also addressed his fears.
It was also learnt that the PDP NWC met outside the national secretariat of the party in Abuja to discuss some of the issues regarding waivers to the Edo State governor and how to smoothen his admittance into the party.

The source said the PDP NWC might inform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of a new date for its governorship primary, which must fall within the June 27 deadline approved by the commission for political parties to choose their governorship candidates.

The source said: “According to plans, a waiver will form part of the agenda of the NWC meeting and it is when all these are concluded that Obaseki will join the party.”

But before he met with the governors of the main opposition party, there were moves to make Obaseki to reverse his resignation of his membership of the APC.

It was learnt that some party leaders pressured him to reconsider his decision in view of the fact that Oshiomhole who allegedly masterminded his disqualification from the race for the APC governorship ticket was out of the way.

The moves to prevail on Obaseki to reverse his resignation from APC, it was gathered, was part of the reason Giadom announced himself as acting national chairman and cancelled the APC screening that disqualified Obaseki from contesting the APC governorship primary.

THISDAY gathered that this was part of the reasons the Edo governor and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, were yet to disclose their new party.

But the National Vice Chairman of the PDP in the South-south, Mr. Emma Ogidi, in his interview with ARISE NEWS Channel, a sister broadcast arm of THISDAY yesterday, still expressed optimism that Obaseki would join the party within the week.

He was, however, not categorical that Obaseki will be given an automatic ticket as he kept saying that due process would be followed because PDP is a party of due process.

As at press time, Obaseki was still meeting with the Secondus in Abuja.

Also in attendance at the meeting, which was holding at the Abuja residence of the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, were Tambuwal and other top leaders of the party.