PDP to Obaseki: Prove you gave us money for your governorship ticket

The outgoing national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has charged the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to prove that it collected money from him in exchange for the party’s governorship ticket for the 2020 election.

The National Publicity Secretary of the outgoing National Working Committee, Kola Ologbondiyan, threw the challenge.

Ologbodiyan spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the valedictory party for the NWC.

He said: “Let me state without mincing words that the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, owes the members of this NWC the responsibility of clearing our names before the public.

“I will like to place on record that this NWC did not demand for any form of gratification from Obaseki before he got the ticket of our party.

“It is also important to restate that this NWC did not demand for any form of ‘tax’ from Governor Obaseki neither did we collect same.

“He, therefore, owes it a duty to clear our names.”

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Ologbondiyan said that the outgoing leadership of the party did its best to reposition the party for future challenges.

He said: “Before the 2019 elections, we had already added three governors from Sokoto, Kwara and Benue States.

“The Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives led a good number of their colleagues to team up with the party.

“The All Progressives Congress adopted a reckless maximum rigging to snatch Ekiti and Osun.

“We rebuilt the party in content and character and this made it an attraction.

“We came out of the election with 17 Governors, the APC stole Imo State, while three governors later left the party to pursue personal endeavours which were not as a result of NWC’s fault.

“The 2018 elective national convention which produced our presidential candidate was adjudged the best.

“It was keenly contested and not by consensus.

“In the end, none of the aspirants left the party.

“The NWC carried out reforms that stopped the use of Ghana Must Go to win nominations or tickets, restructured the workforce and adopted a smart approach.

“For many years, the party was unable to conduct online registration of its members.

“Today we have our members registering online and our party has become digitally prepared ahead of any other party in our country.”

The valedictory session was attended by prominent chieftains of the party, including the incoming National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu; National Secretary-Elect, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; and former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Tanimu Turaki.

The Eagle