Top PDP Members Reveal Why Party May Not Have Candidates in 2023 Elections, Defect to Peter Obi's Labour Party

• Ahead of 2023, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have lost about 2,000 members to the Labour Party in Edo state
• The defectors attributed their defection to the feud between Governor Obaseki and Chief Orbih, which "has continued to worsen"
• John Idahosa, one of the defectors, said the PDP may not have candidates in the 2023 elections in Edo state due to the crisis

Edo state - About 2,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state have reportedly defected to Labour Party (LP) ahead of the 2023 general elections.

A report by The Nation attributed the development to the feud between Edo state governor Godwin Obaseki and the PDP national vice chairman (Southsouth), Chief Dan Orbih.

The PDP defectors, Legit.ng learns, have directed a faction of their structure to support the LP senatorial candidate in Edo South, Ned Imasuen.

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Imasuen, a former senior aide to serving Edo South PDP senator, Mathew Urhoghide, was said to have joined the race because the serving senator is not in the 2023 senatorial race.

Why the PDP members joined Labour Party in Edo

The Edo PDP is currently embroiled in a fierce battle with the Obaseki and Orbih factions presenting two different lists of candidates for all state elections.

The defectors’ actions are said to have been informed by the uncertainties surrounding the lists of PDP candidates and the possibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejecting both lists.

The leader of the defecting PDP members, John Idahosa said:

“We cannot be floating on top of water. Governor Obaseki and Chief Orbih’s feud has continued to worsen.

"And since Senator Matthew Urhoghide is not in the race, we have decided to follow Barrister Ned Imasuen of the LP who is capable and who understands the working in the Senate.

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“At the end of the day, PDP may not have candidates in the 2023 election. And the All Progressives Congress (APC) too is not free of crisis. So, the best and suitable candidate for Edo South senatorial district is Ned Imasuen of the Labour Party.

“The wind is bl*owing and it is high time we did away with PDP and APC in Edo state."

2023: Mass Defection hits Edo PDP as top chieftains join APC

In a similar development, four top PDP chieftains and over 100 other members of the party in Ovia Northeast local government area of Edo state defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, June 24.

Led by the party’s former youth leader in the local government area, Godwin Igbinosun, the defectors said they decided to join the APC because of the performance of the lawmaker representing Ovia Federal Constituency, Dennis Idahosa, and the crisis in the state chapter of the PDP.

Source: Legit.ng