Aziegbemi: PDP denies Edo chairman’s defection

The Publicity Secretary of the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Chris Osa Nehikhare, has denied reports that the party’s state chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi has dumped the party.

ElombahNews reported on September 11 that the All Progressives Congress (APC) announced that the chairman of PDP in Edo State dumped the party and joined the ruling party.

APC announced the defection on its official Twitter handle on Friday.

According to APC, Dr. Aziegbemi declared total support for the APC candidate in the forthcoming governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Reacting to the news, however, Mr. Osa Nehikhare said the news is fake and should be disregarded.

Speaking to journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital, Nehikhare said the rumour is a “fabrication of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in their last minute and desperate efforts to save an unpopular candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, from quitting the gubernatorial race which the party is set to lose.”

Speaking further, he noted: “With just a week to the September 19 election, and worried by the lack of acceptance of its candidate, the APC has resorted to desperate and unconventional campaign tactics; fake news, deceit and falsehood, to attempt to sway Edo voters.”

He stated categorically that Aziegbemi is still with party, saying:

“For emphasis, the chairman of the PDP in Edo State, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, has not resigned from the PDP.

“He is committed to leading the party to victory, come September 19, with the party’s standard bearer, Governor Godwin Obaseki.

“Edo people should ignore the shenanigans of the APC and come out en masse to reelect the PDP candidate on election day,” he urged.

The development is coming barely one week before the governorship polls slated for next Saturday, September 19, 2020.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu of the APC will be squaring against the incumbent governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki of the PDP.