LOYALISTS OF OBASEKI AND IGHODALO ACCUSED OF FUELING RIVERS POLITICAL CRISIS

 Revealed: How Obaseki, Ighodalo’s loyalists fueled Rivers crisis

…..”Don’t go depressed,” lawyer counsels Ogbeide Ifaluyi Isibor

New details have emerged on how supporters of former Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and the PDP candidate in the 2024 governorship election, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, allegedly played a role in escalating the political crisis in Rivers State.

According to sources, their influence may have emboldened Governor Siminalayi Fubara, pushing him towards the precipice - a confrontational stance that ultimately led to his downfall.

It was speculated on social media that Obaseki’s loyalists drew parallels between his unyielding militaristic approach to governance in Edo State and Fubara’s resistance in Rivers, encouraging the governor to defy constitutional boundaries.

According to their arguments, if Obaseki could bulldoze his way through political landmines, so could Fubara. They also raised several posts calling on PDP members in the National Assembly to shut down the proposal for emergency rule, saying the President would be taught a bitter lesson at the National Assembly.

However, the endorsement from the National Assembly, which cut across party lines, left Obaseki and Ighodalo’s spokesman, Ogbeide Ifaluyi Isibor, in shock and reportedly “depressed”.

It was observed that many disgruntled PDP elements in Edo State took to social media to express their frustration, particularly chastising PDP-aligned senators who, instead of resisting, supported the emergency rule.

Particularly, Asue Ighodalo’s spokesperson, Ogbeide Ifaluyi Isibor, expressed frustration on Facebook. He lamented the PDP’s role in the situation. He posted on Facebook, saying, “PDP, we can do better than this.” This did not go unnoticed.

According to a reply by Barrister Julius Osifo, a legal figure within Edo PDP, who attempted to console Ogbeide, he responded to the post with a brief but telling message, saying, “My brother, don’t feel depressed…..”

This frustration and mood of depression within the PDP show how Obaseki and Ighodalo’s loyalists now find themselves grappling with the reality of political isolation - just yesterday, the governor of the state, Senator Monday Okpebholo, harvested their henchmen, and today, they watched helplessly as their supposed allies within the PDP aligned with the President’s stance on the state of emergency in Rivers State.

Meanwhile, Governor Monday has been commended for distancing himself from the position of some South-South governors who opposed the President’s decision.