The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State rose from its stakeholders’ meeting in Benin on Friday, rejecting “the high fees to purchase forms as released by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party’’.
The meeting, subsequently, mandated the Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Dan Orbih, to inform the party’s national chairman, Prince Uchr Secondus, of the position of the state chapter.
Earlier, the meeting heard that party members aspiring for chairmanship positions in the party would pay N1 million while those gunning for vice-chairmanship positions would pay N500, 000.
Similarly, those aspiring for chairmanship of the party in the local government would pay N300,000, while those aspiring for chairmanship at the ward level would pay N100, 000.
Addressing the party members earlier, Orbih advised them not to hand over positions to people who would use the positions to negotiate their exits from the party.
Orbih, who disclosed that the fees regime was unfolded by the PDP’s National Working Committee, said that people interested in the positions should go ahead and collect the forms.
He, however, advised that people interested in the various positions should go about it in a peaceful manner.
“We should be careful not to hand over these positions to those who will use them to negotiate their future exit.
“In these are strange times, we are seeing those who have benefitted most from this party shopping for excuses to justify their undignified exit.
“Our liberalism must be exercised with caution arising from the bitter lesson of political ingrates, who are today casting aspersions on the PDP.
“No matter what they are saying, Edo State people see them as cheap, fair weather politicians, who will do anything to advance their selfish political interests. But time will tell.”
Orbih reiterated that the governorship and the chairmanship positions were not zoned in the state, saying, however, that a committee would work the zoning of offices next month.
Edo State is billed for governorship polls in August next year in an election expected to be characterised by back-stabbing, betrayals and violence.
