I can confirm to you that the governor, his deputy and the entire All Progressives Congress (APC) structure in the state will be joining the PDP soon. We have been in touch in the last few days.
After days of uncertainty, it has now been confirmed that Governor Godwin Obaseki will be defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a matter of days.
But the party insists there will be no automatic ticket for Obaseki.
The PDP has fixed its governorship primary for June 19th and 20th and the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified Obaseki from contesting in the party’s primary.
Speaking to Vanguard on the telephone on Monday, state chairman of PDP, Tony Aziegbemi, also said there would be no automatic ticket for Obaseki.
He said, “There is nothing like an automatic ticket for anybody, it is like that in any democratic environment, and there is a process as laid down by the constitution of the party and that we will follow.
“But I can confirm to you that the governor, his deputy and the entire All Progressives Congress (APC) structure in the state will be joining the PDP soon. We have been in touch in the last few days. By tomorrow, I will be able to confirm the exact date he will be joining with his team.”
On the reports that Obaseki had obtained a PDP membership form in ward 4, Oredo local government area, Aziegbemi said, “I am not aware of that yet.”
Reacting to the development, a governorship aspirant of the PDP, Ken Imasuagbon, said he would resist any attempt to hand over the party’s ticket to Obaseki ahead of the state governorship elections.
Imasuagbon, who spoke with newsmen on Monday in Benin, however, said the governor was welcome to join the party but that he must join the queue.
He said, “Any attempt to manipulate the party’s primary would be met with serious resistance; there will be no PDP primary or whatever if the party’s leadership tries it.
“This is neither a military coup nor are we in military rule, the governor must subject himself to the party’s primary; he will need to queue with the other aspirants if he wishes to join, but certainly not handing him the ticket automatically.