Why Edo PDP Withdrew Governorship Election Petition Against Oshiomhole

Huhuonline.com can authoritatively reveal that just few days after it went to court in protest against the conduct of the July 14 governorship election held in Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has withdrawn its petition filed against Governor

Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Findings revealed that the Presidency may not have been comfortable with the publicity allegedly given to the petition against the Governor Oshiomhole, who is also believed to be a close confidant of President Goodluck Jonathan despite party affiliations.

 
Moreover, the issue is said to have further divided the party in the State which had been bedevilled with serious internal challenges prior to the July 14 election.

While the PDP candidate in the election, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere filled the suit against Oshiomhole, a former Minister and top member of the PDP, Godwin Abbey, had warned the party and its candidate in the election against embarking on legal issues that could jeopardise the goal of developing the State.

This statement from a respected PDP chieftain however gave the impression that the PDP had not resolved its problems and was not speaking with one voice.

Despite the varied opinions, the PDP headed for the tribunal last Thursday, pegging part of its argument on the fact that Governor Oshiomhole had punctured the process that produced him as fraudulent even before the result of the exercise was announced. The petitioners had also argued that the exercise witnessed a level of irregularities, rigging and manipulations.

However, while confirming the withdrawal of the petition, the State chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, said the party having taken a serious look into all the issues that happened during the period, it had also taken into consideration the various opinions of both stakeholders and the people of the State including legal options.

He said, having fully consulted the party leadership at the local, state and national levels, the PDP appreciated the effects of the result of the election on the people of the State, and was mindful of the consequences which the State may run into with protracted litigation.

A close PDP source in Benin told Huhuonline.com on phone Tuesday, that the decision was made after the party received a message from Abuja disclosing that the President was not happy with the decision of the party to go to court.

"Some of us have not been happy with what is going on within the PDP in Edo State. You also remember the intrigues that brought up Airhiavbere and how some members kicked against it.

"Few minutes after the election was conducted and the result released, the President sent a congratulatory message to the Governor, his friend. So such person cannot be happy that you are going to court especially when it is clear that the people actually voted for Oshiomhole.

"There is nothing we are going to fight against at the tribunal now. Is it not true that at past 12pm that election day, materials had not been distributed to within Oredo when the materials actually got to that same INEC office in Oredo the previous day. We should just allow sleeping dogs lie my brother," the source said while hinting that a faction of the party was trying to discard Tony Anenih and reduce his relevance.