- warns aspirants to concentrate on what they can do for Edo
- says no division in PDP
- Osaro Onaiwu does not speak for the party.
By Ehi Ekhator
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo State, Chief Dan Orbih has cautioned the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole to respond to questions asked by one of the aspirants, Pastor Ize-Iyamu instead of asking him to mention his friend’s names.
The PDP chairman described the statement credited to the governor as childish and stupid.
Orbih, while speaking with NAIJA CENTER NEWS, challenged the governor to explain to Edo people why he spent N11m to build a room in the hostel in Edo University in Iyamoh.
He accused Oshiomhole of taking issues personal whenever his policies are questioned by the people.
Dan Orbih said “Oshiomhole has a right to choose who his friends are, that doesn’t put food on anybody’s table, but he does not have the right to ask somebody who his friends are. People keep their friends to themselves. Is like asking me who is my friend? Who is he to ask me who is my friend and I will start naming my friends for him? He should address the issues, and he should stop talking about who is somebody’s friend. To me, it sounds rather childish and stupid, it has nothing to do with the issues Pastor Ize-Iyamu raised. He should tell Edo people why a state government used over N11m to build a room in the hostel he said he is building in the University at Iyamoh.
“The Pastor talked quite a lot about several issues. Instead of addressing the issues, he is telling people Dangote is his friends. Did anybody tell him Dangote was his enemies? I don’t really like wasting time on Oshiomhole; it is just an empty man. Edo people cannot wait for him to pack his loads and get out of that place, if he likes, let him go back to Kaduna. He came there to raid the state resources.
“Any time people question his policies, he will take on them and become very personal in his response. People should address issues. People want to hear what he has got to say about the issues that were raised, instead, he would personalize the issue as if there is something between him and whoever that is accusing him.
Speaking about the alleged division among the governorship aspirants, Orbih advised aspirants to concentrate on what they can offer to the state if they were given the ticket instead of attacking themselves on the face of newspapers.
It could be recalled that one of the aspirants, Osaro Onaiwu had called on the leadership of the party to call Pastor Ize-Iyamu to order over his claimed that he was the only one capable of taking on Oshiomhole.
Speaking with NAIJA CENTER NEWS, Orbih stressed that Mr. Onaiwu is not the mouthpiece of the party. He advised him to show maturity, adding that a statement from him cannot make him the speaker of the party.
His words: “I will not respond to whatever Osaro Onaiwu said. I believe Ize-Iyamu is in the position to respond to his fellow aspirant, but those who are interested in the party ticket should conduct themselves in a very matured manner. I don’t think the party is going to tolerate a situation where aspirants start attacking themselves. It doesn’t augur well for the party.
“As rancorous and contemptuous as APC gubernatorial race is, I am yet to see Chris Ogiemwonyi abusing Obaseki, or Obaseki abusing Odubu, or Odubu abusing aspirants. We must show decorum and maturity in our quest for whatever office we are looking for. I want to see PDP aspirants elevate their debates to the level of what they would do if given the ticket and given the opportunity to govern the state, and not aspirant joining issues with fellow aspirants on the faces of newspapers.
“All is well in PDP, a statement from Osaro Onaiwu cannot give an assessment of the status of PDP in Edo State. He cannot speak for the party, and he is not a barometer for measuring what we have been able to achieve in the party. He is an aspirant, and if anybody decides to jump into the arena to say he is an aspirant, that doesn’t confine him with the know all to start speaking about the party.”
The Party chairman assured that PDP will take over from Oshiomhole as Edo people are waiting to send the All Progressives Congress, APC, out of the state.
“Sincerely speaking, Edo people are waiting anxiously for PDP to give them a new lease of life. What we have witnessed in Oshiomhole years in office has been propaganda and no action. All Oshiomhole makes is noise.”
Contrary to the speculation that the party is supporting a certain candidate against others, Orbih said “I am not in a position to speak about what the aspirants are saying because i am not an aspirant, but i can tell you that the party is not supporting any particularly aspirant.
“INEC has come out with a timetable, there will be primaries, those who are interested in the governorship should go to the party members and solicit their support, and it is the outcome of the primaries that will be dependent on how much work they have done in terms of winning the delegates for support. It is not about accusations or baseless accusations, let them go to the field and canvass for support. Whoever the people want will be the candidate of the party. Anybody that will emerge from our primaries, we will support the person and canvass for support from voters, and ensure that Edo State is taking out of Oshiomhole’s propaganda, ” he concluded.
