Politics

Edo PDP Crisis Deepens As Wike’s Loyalists Elect New Leadership

Published

3 hours ago

October 5, 2025

The internal crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Sunday as the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, popularly called the Legacy Group, elected a new set of state executives led by Barrister Nosa Ogieva.

Ogieva emerged alongside 13 other executive members during the party’s 2025 State Congress held in Benin City, amid widening cracks within the state chapter.

The development marks another chapter in the fierce political rivalry between the Wike-led faction and the camp loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki, who has struggled to control the party since 2020.

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected chairman, Barrister Nosa Ogieva, described the congress victory as “the beginning of a new era” for the Edo PDP.

He pledged to reunite members, rebuild confidence in the party, and return it to its winning ways.

“We will not betray the trust of party members. Unity and loyalty remain the foundation of our great party, and under our watch, PDP in Edo will be rebuilt to win elections again,” Ogieva said.

According to organisers, 11 out of 14 positions were filled unopposed, while Tony Aziegbemi, Henry Tenebe, and Victor Enoghama contested for the offices of State Chairman, Secretary, and Deputy State Chairman, respectively.

A total of 576 delegates drawn from 192 wards across Edo State participated in the exercise.

Earlier at the event, PDP chieftain and former South-South National Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, laid the blame for the prolonged crisis squarely on former Governor Godwin Obaseki, accusing him of alienating almost every stakeholder he met in the party.

“Obaseki has fallen out with virtually every stakeholder he met in the PDP,” Orbih said.

He lamented that the party’s poor performance in recent by-elections reflected a deep loss of confidence among voters under the current state leadership.

“The result of the last by-elections showed clearly that our popularity has dwindled. We must rebuild and restore the PDP’s credibility,” he added.

Orbih urged delegates to support capable leaders who can heal divisions and revive the party’s influence across the state.

“Edo PDP must rediscover its identity,” he said. “We cannot afford to remain divided if we hope to win future elections.”

Meanwhile, the Legacy Group, which has long accused the Obaseki faction of sidelining founding members, said the new leadership would prioritise reconciliation and ensure that loyal members are rewarded for their commitment.

Abia Radio News reports that Sunday’s congress signals a renewed power tussle between both factions, setting the stage for possible legal battles and further intervention by the PDP’s national leadership.