HOW GOV. GODWIN OBASEKI AND HIS DEPUTY, PHILLIP SHAIBU RECEIVES PDP MEMBERSHIP CARD

By Simeon Osajie

It was a hip of activities at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Edo State Secretariat along 1st East Circular Road, Benin City when the government of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu finally joined the party.
The PDP faithfuls alongside supporters of Governor Godwin Obaseki were chanting solidarity songs waiting for the arrival of the his excellency thereby differed the social distancing in view of the covid 19 pandemic ravaging the country that allowed 20 persons to assemble in any gathering.
When Godwin Obaseki finally landed 2.15pm, the crowd was overwhelming thereby forcing personal aides of the governor to delay their principal disengaging from the official vehicle.
The official defection of Obaseki to the PDP and the formal receipt of the leadership of the party in the state led by Dr. Tony Aiziegbemi in the party secretariat have put to rest the widespread speculation of the governor defection.
The Edo State PDP Chairman, Dr. Tony Aiziegbemi welcomed governor Obaseki to the party and assured him that, “going by the party constitution, PDP governor in any state of the federation is regarded as the Leader of the Party and will henceforth be treated as such.
The governor was thereafter given the party register to append his name and signature. The Oredo Ward 3 Chairman was then called upon to hand over the PDP membership card to Governor Obaseki.
Responding after receiving his PDP membership card, Governor Obaseki emphasized that “I have officially joined the party to advance my ambition to seek re-election as governor of Edo State. I, as always, remain committed to engendering good governance and sustainable development of our dear state. With the energy I witnessed in the party secretariat on my arrival, what Edo people has witnessed in terms of human and capital development in the past four years will be a child’s play compared to what is to come. The bore in development and democratic practice both in party and governance in Edo State in particular and Nigeria in general would be as never been witnessed.” 
On the governor entourage were serving commissioners, APC chieftains loyal to the governor, Kabiru Adjoto, immediate past speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, local government chairmen, among others.
In another development, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu was also at the PDP Secretariat to formally decamp to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Receiving the deputy governor to the PDP Secretariat was the Edo State PDP Chairman, Dr. Tony Aiziegbemin and his executive members.  
Dr. Aiziegbemin introduced the deputy governor to the executive members of the State PDP and thereafter invited the deputy governor to explain the reason behind his visit to the state headquarters of the party.
In his response, the deputy governor was emphatic  that “since the governor had joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and we his followers have decided that wherever he goes we will go. For me, it is only customary to come and formalize into PDP. I am here to officially put my signature of my membership to the PDP. I want to thanks all of you and the Edo people and by the grace of God, we can assure them that those good things that we have stated; that this PDP vehicle we are intending to use we will also use it to continue those projects Mr. Governor has started,” the deputy governor concluded.
The deputy governor’s ward chairman from his local government area was thereafter called upon to hand over the PDP membership card to Comrade Phillip Shaibu that witnessed thunderous crowd response.
Responding to question from journalists, deputy said that “actually, it is means feeling that I am joining PDP. First you struggle to form a party and after forming the party, those that benefitting from the party that you formed took over the party and become tyrant.  It is not very easy to abandon that vehicle that you helped to formed and nurtured because one individual became the king in the system and become undemocratic.” 
“And for some of us, we believe in the people and we cannot abandon the state for people like that, and that is while we decided to join the Democratic Party, which is PDP for the purpose to continuing the developmental strides of Governor Godwin Obaseki. We decided that were governors goes, that is where we are going. I am excited that the Governor said we have to try the People’s Democratic Party to actually the vision of Edo people.”
”Some of the faces I am seeing today were those faces that were hard to crack.  Coming together with these faces and work in one accord, I think the sky will not just be our limit but will be our starting point.”  I am happy to associate myself with the PDP family,” Comrade shaibu concluded.