Dr Iyorcha Ayu, the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday said that Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo would not leave the party as rumoured.

Mr Ayu gave the assurance to party members in Benin, at a rally organised in his honour by the Edo Government, where he described Mr Obaseki as an asset to the PDP.

He also said that many people who left the PDP were already coming back, and many more would still do so.

The national chairman promised speedy resolution of the crisis rocking the Edo chapter of the party.

According to Mr Ayu, the people, from next week, will see what the leadership of the party at the national level will do to resolve the crisis in Edo state.

He said that he was married to an Edo woman who had children for him and could not allow the party in the state to fall apart.

“My brothers and sisters, divided we fall, united we stand. For many years it was difficult to bring democracy to Nigeria because we politicians were divided,” he said.

Mr Ayu said he led the PDP in 1999 to ‘conquer’ the presidential villa, and was poised to take the party back there in 2023.

He promised to go after governors who left the party with its mandates to reclaim them.

Earlier, Mr Obaseki had said that the party was poised to retain power in the state.

He reiterated the position of his deputy, Philip Shaibu, who said that the state would determine the mood of Nigerians in the next general election.

Meanwhile, Mr Shaibu in his remarks expressed his disappointment on the way they were being treated since joining the PDP from APC and called for a resolution of such problems in the state.

The state chairman of the party, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, in his remarks, commended the governor for achieving so much despite the skirmishes.

He expressed optimism that the national leadership of the party would resolve the problems facing the party in the state.

(NAN)