Orbih faction of PDP threatens to arrest Edo caretaker committee members for alleged impersonation

The crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has taken a new dimension as the South-South Zonal Vice Chairman of the party, Dan Orbih threatened to arrest the caretaker committee members in the state for alleged impersonation.

DAILY POST reports that Orbih made the threat in Benin City on Tuesday during an enlarged meeting of party leaders from the 18 local government areas of the State.

Orbih, who is leading a faction of the party in the state known as the “legal group,” alleged that those parading themselves as the party's Caretaker Committee members in the state were unknown to the party constitution.

He said they cannot be parading themselves as committee members.

He also disclosed that leaders of the party have been mandated to look for a befitting state secretariat for the party.

According to him, if they continue, we will stop them. Let me tell you, when you are not a soldier and you put on the uniform of a soldier and call yourself a soldier, that is impersonation.

“The law is clear, and it must take its course because these people are not members of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee .

“So we are calling on them to stop parading themselves; if not, they would be arrested.

“Most of them are unknown to our constitution. We have resolved to keep our constitution as our most potent and strongest guidance in all we do.

“I want to tell them in their own interest that they should desist from parading themselves as members of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee”, he said.

He noted that the party as of today is in a very sorry state, alleging that the former Governor of the State, Godwin Obaseki came and destroyed it.

“As we speak, the party does not have a secretariat. It has become a homeless party in the state.

“I have just told the party leaders to identify a befitting secretariat for the PDP in the state, and I will pay for it so that the PDP can have a functional party secretariat.

“So that gradually, we will start rebuilding the party. In the coming weeks, the public will hear from the party in Edo.

“Party members have been writing a lot of petitions to my office, and we will take steps to address those petitions and put the party in its true state in no distance time”, he added.

While noting that the party leaders have resolved to rebuild the party and make it stronger, he added that a team of experienced leaders have been put together to work daily and bring the party to the limelight.

Orbih, posited that those that destroyed the party with the former governor cannot for any reason be seen to be parading themselves as members of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee.

Orbih, however, used the opportunity to thank the party leaders who traveled to calabar for the February 20, 2025, South South zonal congress, where he was reelected.

Earlier, the state secretary of the party, Hillary Otsu said that the PDP was in disarray and needed to be rebuilt

On his part, Nosakhare Ogieva Okunbor, a chieftain of the party, used the opportunity to congratulate the national secretary of the PDP Sen. Samuel Anyanwu on his victory at the Supreme Court.

As at the time of filling this report, the state Publicity Secretary caretaker committee, Chris Nehikhare was yet to respond to a message sent to him