Ogbeide-Ihama Omoregie, one of the aspirants in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary scheduled for Thursday in Edo State, has officially withdrawn from the race. The announcement was made through a letter dated February 12, 2024, addressed to the National Secretary of the party, Sam Anyanwu, and copied to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.
In the letter, made available to journalists on Thursday, Ogbeide-Ihama highlighted the circumstances that led to his decision. He expressed that over a year ago, he initiated consultations with various stakeholders in response to widespread calls from the citizenry. Following a transparent and legitimate process outlined by the party’s National Working Committee, he embarked on the journey to contest for the governorship position of Edo State.
However, Ogbeide-Ihama pointed out that the process became compromised due to irregularities during the ward congress organized by the party in the state. Dissatisfaction with the transparency of the process and concerns about the fairness of the committee overseeing it were voiced by him and eight other aspirants. Despite approaching appeal panels with evidence of violations of party guidelines, the National Working Committee ignored the recommendations, perpetuating an uneven playing field that favored a particular aspirant.
Expressing loss of confidence in the integrity and credibility of the ongoing process, Ogbeide-Ihama, after consulting with family, key stakeholders, and supporters, made the “hard, honourable, and logical decision” to withdraw from the selection process for the PDP candidate in the 2024 Edo Governorship Elections. He pledged to communicate any subsequent actions as necessary.
