PDP Crisis Deepens as Wike’s Loyalists Elect Parallel Executive in Edo

The internal crisis within the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a dramatic turn on Sunday as a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, elected a parallel state executive committee led by Nosa Ogieva.

Ogieva and 13 others, operating under the aegis of the Legacy Group, were sworn in at the group’s 2025 state congress held in Benin City. Of the new officers, 11 were returned unopposed, while Tony Aziegbemi, Henry Tenebe, and Victor Enoghama reportedly contested for the positions of state chairman, secretary, and deputy chairman respectively. A total of 576 delegates drawn from the 192 wards across Edo State participated in the congress.

In his acceptance speech, Ogieva pledged to focus on reuniting the party and restoring its electoral strength, describing his team’s emergence as a “new chapter” for the PDP in the state. He called on aggrieved members to close ranks and work together for the greater good of the party, stressing that “loyalty and unity remain the bedrock of the PDP.”

Dan Orbih, leader of the Legacy Group and former PDP national vice chairman (South-South), used the occasion to blame former Governor Godwin Obaseki for the lingering crisis. He alleged that Obaseki’s defection to the PDP sowed the seeds of discord and fractured the once-united party.

“We had a united PDP where everyone related as brothers and sisters until Obaseki joined our party. He came in and destroyed everything that was good in the PDP,” Orbih said, adding that the party’s poor performance in recent by-elections reflected Obaseki’s unpopularity and the leadership crisis that followed his entry.

Orbih accused the rival faction loyal to Obaseki of undermining the PDP from within, describing them as “undertakers praying for the party to collapse so they can join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).” He urged delegates to support leaders with integrity and capacity to rebuild the party, insisting that those who betray members’ trust should have no place in the PDP’s future.