Our attention has been drawn to a highly misleading and very provocative article by the ailing Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and signed by its factional Publicity Secretary, Mr Matthew Urhoghide seeking to drag the name of our revered royal father, the Oba of Benin, Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akplokpolo, Oba Erediauwa into the politics of the state.I expected Urhoghide to learn the ropes of the trade properly before taking a dangerous plunge of advertising his ignorance in public, more so on the issue he bandied on. As a neophyte politician who has abandoned his Pharmacy profession for politics, in his wildest imaginations, he claimed that there is a 'practice of the members of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Edo State in bringing internal party squabbles to the Benin monarch for arbitration.'We do not know where Edo factional PDP and Urhoghide got the information of crisis in our party from. There is no crisis in any arm of the ACN in Edo State. For the avoidance of doubt, neither the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Edo State any of the wards, local Governments nor Senatorial districts has any case pending before the palace of the Benin monarch.Incontrovertibly, Urhoghide is a poor student of history. As a green horn on the job, he should have been told by his forbearers that the PDP in Edo State has been the one that has perturbed our revered monarch with its internal party squabbles. We cite just one case. When former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and Chief Tony Anenih were at each other's throat, having serious quarrels and throwing all kinds of missile, it is on record that the Oba of Benin resolved their squabble in his palace, a case which was widely publicised as a peace move brokered by Chief Lucky Igbinedion who was then the Edo State Governor. Where were Urhoghide and his factional PDP'So, if the PDP has benefited from the crisis resolution mechanism of our royal father in the recent past, why is the same PDP shouting hoax about the palace having to resolve any quarrel in ACN (which of course is untrue), more so when he pointedly stated in the advertorial that "the Oba of Benin is a royal father to all irrespective of party, religious and social status." Does the factional PDP want to now limit the powers of the Oba just because it is desperate for recognition in the governorship election'It is a common knowledge in Edo State and, even nationally, that Edo PDP is irretrievably balkanised along all divides. However, two factions of the PDP appear to be more prominent -The Tony Anenih faction and the Samuel Ogbemudia faction. We recommend that, since the palace has been kind to help resolve your quarrels in recent past, you could still avail yourselves the unbiased arbitration of the Benin Traditional Council you once enjoyed.Also, if the PDP wants to accuse the monarch of partisanship, it should come out clear on that. The PDP and Urhoghide must not hide under their desperation for governorship or any other guise for that matter to accuse our Oba of partisanship as the innuendos of the advertorial suggest. Otherwise, why did he state in the advertorial that "The Binis also abhor the suggestion making rounds that the Oba of Benin is sympathetic to the Action Congress of Nigeria and has officially endorsed Governor Adams Oshiomhole for a second term'" Urhoghide is the Publicity Secretary of a faction of the PDP in Edo State and has no right whatsoever to speak on behalf of the Benins. If anyone needs to be told to leave the palace alone, it is Urhoghide and his factional PDP led by Dan Orbih and certainly not the peaceful, law-abiding Action Congress of Nigeria.But most importantly, the ACN Edo State and Oshiomhole do not believe in character assassination to win next year's election. Our work on ground will see us through. The PDP should look for a way of convincing the good people of Edo State that it has something to offer after apologising for wasting resources of the state for 10 solid years. Insulting Oshiomhole every day as a campaign strategy would only destroy the PDP the more. July next year is only seven months away. The number of lies PDP publishes against the ACN will not make the electorate change their preference for the Action Congress of Nigeria, a party that salvaged them from the wickedness of the PDP and has provided them clear alternatives. It is because the greed of Urhoghide could not be served in ACN this was why he defected to a faction of the PDP to take up the hatchet job, but it is imperative for him to thread softly.Oba Gha to okpere. Ise.'Owegie is Publicity Secretary of Edo State Chapter of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)
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