The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially reaffirmed the Tony Aziegbemi-led Caretaker Committee as the legitimate leadership of its Edo State chapter, dismissing claims by a rival faction led by Dan Orbih, the party’s South-South National Vice Chairman. The National Working Committee (NWC), in a Thursday statement by spokesperson Debo Ologunagba, clarified that the committee—constituted on February 6, 2025, and mandated for 90 days—remains the only recognized administrative body overseeing party affairs in the state.
The declaration follows Orbih’s controversial inauguration of a parallel secretariat in Benin City on Wednesday, which deepened the party’s internal rift. Orbih, who chairs the Legacy Group faction, justified the move as a response to the PDP’s eviction from its former secretariat by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in January 2025, leaving the party “homeless” for months. He dismissed the Aziegbemi committee as illegitimate and warned APC officials against interfering with the new facility.
The NWC, however, urged members, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and security agencies to disregard Orbih’s actions, emphasizing that only the Aziegbemi-led structure is constitutionally valid. Secretary of the caretaker committee, Henry Tenebe, reiterated that the NWC established the committee after the previous executive’s tenure expired in March 2024, with a mandate to oversee operations until fresh congresses are held.
Meanwhile, the PDP faces mounting external pressures, including the defection of Ikpoba-Okha lawmaker Nicholas Asonsere to the APC, which now controls 15 of the 24 Edo Assembly seats. Governor Monday Okpebholo hailed the defection as a sign of the PDP’s impending collapse, stating, “More members will soon join us to build a prosperous Edo”.
The crisis underscores the PDP’s struggle to maintain cohesion in Edo, with Orbih’s faction accusing the former Obaseki administration of weakening the party’s influence. As the caretaker committee’s 90-day tenure progresses, the PDP’s ability to resolve its internal disputes will be critical to its survival in the state ahead of future elections.
