There has been a flurry of denials by PDP leaders concerning the rumored allegations coming from Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State that he bought the PDP ticket.

This allegation is not unconnected to the imbroglio in the Edo State PDP where the governor had requested for the party excos and structure from the state down to the wards level because according to his followers, he purchased the ticket with huge sums of money that he gave to party leaders, including some members of the then National Working Committee like Chief Secondus, Chief Tom Ikimi, Kola Ologbodiyan, and others who helped facilitate his coming to PDP.

This complaint by the governor, according to our sources, decimated the outburst of Governor Wike then, who said those collecting money from Obaseki are ‘tax collectors’ and they were not the right people the governor ought to be dealing with.

Afterward, Governor Wike, who has now become sworn enemy with Governor Godwin Obaseki because of Wike’s relationship with Chief Dan Orbih and because of Obaseki’s desire to become the Vice President to Atiku, was able to broker peace between the Governor and major PDP leaders in Edo State before he was allowed to run under the party as the three contestants had to step down for him.

However, in recent times, leaders of the party had been coming out to ask the governor to name those he gave money to in PDP to purchase the ticket.

The first leader to deny being given money was Chief Dan Orbih, one of the governor’s worst rivals. He stated in clear terms that he did not ask the governor for a dime nor did the governor volunteer to offer him even when he went around with him in all the 192 wards.

Another leader of the Party, Barr. Ken Imansuangbon, also denied ever receiving a dime from the governor And according to him, the PDP Party cannot be bought by any single individual, and that he gives money as he is a well-known philanthropist in the state, nobody can buy him nor the party.

Lately, speaking at the valedictory session of the outgoing NWC, the outgone National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, said no member of the NWC collected bribes to make Obaseki the party’s candidate. Ologbondiyan called on the governor to tell Nigerians and party members the processes that led to his nomination as the governorship candidate of the party.

“Let me state without mincing words that the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, owes the members of this NWC the responsibility of clearing our names before the public.

“I will like to place on record that this NWC did not demand any form of gratification from Obaseki before he got the ticket of our party.

“It is also important to restate that this NWC did not demand any form of ‘tax’ from Governor Obaseki neither did we collect same.”
He, therefore, owed it a duty “to clear our names.”

However, the governor who is alleged to have been telling his members who came with him to PDP that he bought the PDP ticket and so must be handed the party structure has kept grave silence since the confrontation by members of the party.

Even his avowed followers who say it openly on every social media platform have kept grave silence now that they have the opportunity to prove their case of Bribe-For-Ticket allegations they used to make everywhere.

This cemetery silence might not be unconnected to the fear of EFCC by the governor. In law, a bribe giver is as guilty as the bribe taker. According to our sources, people are afraid to deal with Governor Obaseki because of betrayal of trust.

It was said that most of the ‘Abuja Politicians’ he alleged to have given money were recorded on tape as proof for their complicity in the Bribe-For-Ticket accusations.