The Edo State People’s Democratic Party(PDP) has described as comical and misleading the celebration of the defection of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) adding that “when in truth, Agbebaku has long operated as a covert APC loyalist.”
According to the Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee in the state, Tony Aziegbemi, while addressing the Press on Thursday afternoon, “Tuesday’s stage-managed fanfare in Benin City was not news; it was merely the official coronation of what had become a public secret.
“For months, Agbebaku has served the interests of the APC in both conduct and allegiance. What played out was nothing more than a desperate spectacle, designed to impress the President and APC national leadership
“Let it be remembered that under Agbebaku’s leadership, and in collaboration with Monday Okpebholo and the Edo APC, duly elected local government council chairmen—overwhelmingly PDP members—were illegally suspended.
“Despite the expiration of that unconstitutional suspension, Agbebaku refused to reinstate them, acting with clear partisan bias. If ever there was evidence of his real political affiliation, this was it.”
Going further, Aziegbemi submitted: “Agbebaku’s formal alignment with the APC is a textbook case of political opportunism—motivated not by ideology or conviction, but by personal ambition and self-preservation. While the APC celebrates this, we in the PDP remain unbothered. Men who stand for nothing will always fall for anything.
“Even more laughable is the APC’s claim that 17 council chairmen have defected to their party. This is pure fiction. We challenge the APC to name a single duly elected PDP chairman who has defected. The truth is that what they parade are political appointees and stooges illegally imposed on the councils—Okpebholo’s loyal hirelings, not the people’s elected representatives. We dare Okpebholo to release the names of the Council Chairmen that defected.”
Aziegbemi asserted that “this charade is part of a broader strategy by the APC to create a false narrative of political dominance in Edo State. But the people of Edo are politically astute and cannot be deceived by such theatrics.
“As a party we want to reassure EDOLITES that they should endure this holocaust period, for joy is coming. The PDP remains focused, undeterred, and unwavering in its commitment to justice. We are pursuing all legal avenues to reclaim our stolen mandate from the brazenly manipulated September 2024 governorship election.”
He called on the party members and supporters to stay focused, united and strong and not “to be distracted by the desperation of those who put personal gain above public good.”
