Leaders and stakeholders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Edo South Senatorial District, known as the PDP Legacy Group, on Friday demanded fair treatment from Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State before it will take a position on the upcoming governorship election in the state.
The group said it would no longer fold its hands and allow the governor to shortchange them the way he did in 2020.
The decisions were taken by the PDP Legacy Group at its meeting in Benin, the Edo State capital.
The Edo South Senatorial District Chairman of the PDP, Ogieva Okunbor, said the meeting was called so that the old PDP members would all say their minds and stand together in unity.
Okunbor said: “One thing that is sure here is that we will never help someone who does not appreciate us again.
“Whatever efforts we are going to put in must be rewarded.”
Addressing the group, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama said in June 2020, he was prevailed upon to step down his governorship ambition to save the governor from political humiliation when he was disqualified by the All Progressives Congress.
The former House of Representatives member, who represented Oredo Federal Constituency, noted that Obaseki had not demonstrated gratitude for what the group did to help him in 2020.
He stated that the governor cornered all offices without conceding one to the old PDP, adding that he has to tell the group this time what was in the coming dispensation for them before it would take a decision on the election
Ogbeide-Ihama saidL “You were all there at the stadium when in June 2020, I was prevailed upon to step down from the governorship race and save the governor from political and public humiliation.
“I listened to the elders that the governor should be allowed to complete his second term.
“I stepped down and played my role by taking Obaseki around the stadium.
“One Naira I did not take.
“One Naira the governor did not offer.
“Maybe if he had paid billions, he would not have treated us like this.
“During the election, I was his party agent.
“I slept at the collation centre and when the result was out, I took it to him personally.
“I protected the ticket I freely gave to him.
“Everything he said he would do, he has not done any.
“I have refused to say anything since 2020.
“I told our leaders and they said that the governor does not listen to anyone.
“He has not kept any single agreement as he took all the positions.
“He took the position of governor, deputy governor, SSG and Chief of Staff.
“In 2024 again, he has taken the governor and deputy governor positions.
“Did we escort him to politics?
“As aboriginal PDP, the Legacy Group remains in the PDP.
“What we are saying is that we will not be part of anybody who wants to destroy the house we built.
“He took the governor, he took the deputy and we are asking: What is our own?
“We are the owners of the house and we are not stupid.
“We will give him time to do what is right.
“We will not leave the PDP.
“We will be in our various polling units on election day.
“And that is why we are asking the governor to come now, talk to us and tell us what is in it for us as the aboriginal PDP.”
According to the former member of the House of Representatives, whatever the governor decided to do would determine the next step the group would take, adding: “He still has the time to reach out to us now before it is too late.”
Also speaking, the former Senate Whip, Senator Roland Owie, said Governor Obaseki had not been fair to the Legacy Group in spite of how the group assisted him when he ran into a political crisis in his former party, the APC.
