The General Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state, Hilary Otsu, has expressed concerns that the party will face defeat in next year’s gubernatorial election if Governor Godwin Obaseki nominates a successor.
He lamented that Obaseki lacked the necessary popularity to endorse an unfamiliar candidate in the state, highlighting that most of the governor’s choices in the 2023 general election were relatively unknown.
Otsu attributed the PDP’s previous losses in the state to this development, as they were defeated by both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections.
Furthermore, he stressed that the party’s key figures have asserted their unwillingness to support any stranger nominated by Obaseki to succeed him in the upcoming election next year.
“Legacy will nominate a governor and deputy of our choice, and PDP will become much stronger. Trust me, most of Governor Obaseki’s closest political allies have echoed it that Edo state will never accept another stranger to govern its people,” Otsu said.
“Governor Obaseki does not have the kind of goodwill needed to promote an unknown stranger in Edo State. When Oshiomole did it with him, Oshiomole had optimal goodwill and acceptance. If Edo people are given a choice today, they will vote against any candidate that Governor Obaseki supports.”
Otsu added, “I stand to be corrected but all the candidates fielded by Gov. Obaseki during the 2023 general elections were unpopular and most voters in their various constituencies were also aware of the illegal processes which brought them.
“So, many of the voters who followed all that transpired leading the emergence of Obaseki’s candidates worked and voted against them and most PDP supporters opted to work against the illegal candidates by supporting other candidates.
“That’s why you see that in many places they gave support to APC candidates and in some, to Labour candidates, leading to unprecedented victories for those Parties. For example PDP has never lost Edo Central and South Senatorial seats before, while a Labour candidate swept the Edo South Senate seat, after leaving PDP for Labour just a few months to the election.”