By Osagie Omo-Osunde
WHAT seems a failed attempt to hoodwink the old PDP in Edo State by the party beneficiary, Governor Godwin Obaseki, which has consequently resulted in the further dip in his popularity, the governor has been trying to shore up his battered image since after the PDP National Convention where he was dealt a big blow by Chief Dan Orbih and Hon. Ogbiede-Ihama.
At the convention, the two old PDP war horses took the shine off the governor totally as their presence roused a welcoming ovation that could only be accorded presidential candidates.
Meanwhile, the governor, who had tried through his proxies but failed to stop both from attending and participating in the convention was a shadowy figure – unacknowledged by a section of the delegates, supporters and committee members from both Edo State and beyond.
The ecstatic welcome of Chief Dan Orbih and Hon. Ogbiede-Ihama was recorded by ITV and others. With the lingering crisis in the party where the duo were said to have been illegally suspended by some money-induced party members, onlookers wondered how did both of them were able to participate, and as a matter of fact, voted during the convention. The duo had over 70 per cent of the delegates as loyalists as against the mere 30 per cent led by the government.
However, it was recorded by some newspapers after inducement had been procured to change the narrative all to shore up the battered image owing to Chief Dan Orbih handicapping the governor in all aspects using the constitutional provisions of the Party in courts of competent jurisdictions.
All attempts by the governor to hold meetings with Chief Dan Orbih during the period of the convention proved abortive as the Vice-Chairman South-South declined knowing Obaseki cannot to be trusted.
On Monday, as a way to continue to rewrite the narratives concerning his popularity, the governor allegedly gifted some Edo boys and girls so much in terms of money under the guise of ‘Media Influencers’, who had a summit to help in creating alternative narratives concerning his image as he is said to be nursing vice-presidential ambition to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
However, this rumour is yet to be verified, the governor, who was there present during the summit, need his image to be laundered to achieve his aim as there is nothing on ground in terms of performance that can speak for him.
