The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State deepened on Sunday as the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, elected a new state executive committee led by Nosa Ogieva.
Ogieva and 13 others, under the banner of the Legacy Group, were sworn in during the group’s 2025 State Congress held in Benin City.
Out of the positions contested, 11 officers were returned unopposed, while Tony Aziegbemi, Henry Tenebe, and Victor Enoghama reportedly vied for the offices of State Chairman, Secretary, and Deputy Chairman respectively.
A total of 576 delegates from the 192 wards across the state participated in the congress.
In his acceptance speech, Ogieva pledged to rebuild the PDP in Edo and restore its electoral strength.
“Our emergence marks a new chapter in Edo PDP. We will not betray the trust reposed in us. Our mission is to reposition, rebrand, and rebuild this party so it can win elections again,” he said.
He appealed to aggrieved members to put aside their differences and unite for the progress of the party, stressing that “loyalty and unity remain the bedrock of the PDP.”
Leader of the Legacy Group and former PDP National Vice Chairman (South-South), Chief Dan Orbih, accused former Governor Godwin Obaseki of causing the deep divisions within the party.
“We had a united PDP where everyone related as brothers and sisters until Obaseki joined our party,” Orbih said.
“He came in and destroyed everything that was good in the PDP. He sowed seeds of discord and left our umbrella torn and shattered.”
Orbih lamented that the party’s poor performance in recent by-elections reflected Obaseki’s waning popularity and the leadership crisis that trailed his defection.
“For the first time in our history, governors, senators, and House members are leaving the PDP daily because of leadership failure,” he added.
He further described the rival faction loyal to the former governor as “undertakers praying for the PDP to collapse so they can join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).”
Orbih urged delegates to rally behind credible leaders with integrity and vision to restore the party’s lost glory, warning that “those who sell out or deny members their rights have no place in the new PDP.”
