A political pressure group in Edo State, the Edo Political Agenda (EPA) has called on political actors especially in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to speak out on the agreement, if any, reached with Governor Godwin Obaseki for him to join the party in 2020.
The group said that its quest follows unconfirmed rumours of cash exchanges and assertions that the national leadership reached a quiet agreement to accommodate the interests of one of the leading candidates in 2020 in the 2024 election.
National coordinator of EPA, Imman Ekpeneru, in a statement, said that clearing the air will help to give a direction to the unfolding quest for the 2024 governorship ticket of the party.
“As a body with the interest of Edo State at heart and being at home with political actors from the state, we are now sufficiently bothered by the rumours that there was an agreement reached with some stakeholders over the 2024 ticket of the party.
“We do not have any proof of the claim of a cash exchange, but we are sufficiently bothered by increasing rumours of an agreement in 2020 to accommodate the interest of a particular frontline aspirant at that time after he was persuaded to step down for Godwin Obaseki.
“The rumour is that the party would accommodate his interest in 2024 as it was said then that he was still young.
“We believe that in the light of the national party’s drive to retain the state for PDP that efforts should be made towards revealing the truth on what really happened prior to the gift of the PDP ticket to Obaseki.
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“Was there any agreement reached with some or a particular aspirant in 2020 towards compensating him for his action in gifting Obaseki the ticket?
“We particularly call out Governor Obaseki, the national vice-chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, the state chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi and others who may be in the know to speak out truthfully on this issue for the sake of truth which the PDP essentially requires at this time.”
The group vowed that it would not keep quiet untill the three major actors or any other authority sheds light on the issue.
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