Drama in PDP as ‘Orbih boys’ purportedly suspend Oghiadomhe from PDP

By DADA AYOKHAI

These are certainly not the best of times for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo State as suspension of members have speedily turned out to a drama series.

The drama which pundits referred  to as part two of the  series recently took place  in Etsako Central local government with  some PDP said to be loyal to a former state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih who gathered at the Ekperi residence of the suspend party chairman, kassim Abdulkareem to allegedly suspended former deputy governor of Edo State, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe.

The suspension drama is said to have pitched, and almost resorted to communal war in the local government between PDP members from Fugar and Ogbona where both Chiefs Oghiadomhe and Orbih hail from.

The purported suspension raised so much dust among a vast majority of the party members from Fugar who feel that the drama so-called is a calculated attempt to embarrass Chief Oghiadomhe, and is a continuation of Chief Orbih’s domineering tendency.  

Our source swore that what is playing out in Etsako Central is a battle for political survival between Chief Oghiadomhe and his rival, Chief Orbih, with the latter morbidly afraid of the rug being pulled from underneath his foot if the rising popularity of his political rival is not checked. 

Arising from the growing level of recognition being accorded Chief Oghiadomhe since the election which brought in Obaseki and Shaibu in comparison to his, Chief Orbih is reported to have become jittery and, therefore, pressurized his followers to do his bidding.

Strangely, the ‘Orbih boys’, as they are called, aware of the motives of their master, were said to have hurriedly cloned a specimen of signatures used in making the suspension order to appear as if it was widely endorsed, without thinking about the implications of their action. 

Many of those whose signatures was cloned and appended on the suspension sheet, of course, without their knowledge, later disassociated themselves from what they called an “unholy venture ". 

In addition, they complain bitterly about the overbearing influence of Chief Orbih on the party in Etsako, adding he and his “boys" are against  harmonization for fear of losing their privileged positions which they got through the back door.

They contend further that Chief Orbih, having failed in his earlier bid of using the state party chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemin, to torpedo and disown the Edo PDP leaders forum under the leadership of Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, resorts to his latest antic of seeking to suspend Chief Oghiadomhe. 

They were also quick to remind Chief Orbih of his past, saying he has forgotten so soon how he used his closeness to the late Chief Anenih to "annex" the PDP chairmanship seat after his uneventful defection from the defunct APP, insisting that unlike him, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe is not only a founding member of the PDP in the state but also an acknowledged notable leader since inception.