The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has accused its National Vice Chairman, South-South, Chief Dan Orbih of running ‘APC Arm’s within the party thereby acting like a mole for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Edo State PDP, through its Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, said Orbih lacks the constitutional authority to sack or appoint party executives in any state. Speaking at a press briefing in Benin City, Nehikhare declared that Orbih’s recent moves — including the announcement of new caretaker committees for Bayelsa and Edo States — are null, void, and unauthorized.
“Dan Orbih is running the APC arm of the PDP,” Nehikhare said boldly, in a statement that has since sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s political space. He accused Orbih of overstepping his bounds and attempting to usurp the powers of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC), which are the only bodies empowered to appoint caretaker committees or organize congresses.
Nehikhare clarified that the recognized PDP leadership in the South-South is currently headed by Emmanuel Ogidi, not Dan Orbih, who, according to him, has been praising the APC-led government in Edo with increasing regularity — a move he described as suspicious and unbecoming of a PDP leader.
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The statement comes in reaction to a controversial decision made public on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, when Orbih presided over a South-South Zonal Working Committee meeting that purportedly dissolved the existing PDP leadership structures in Bayelsa and Edo States. Orbih claimed the dissolved executives were guilty of “gross misconduct” and failure to resolve internal party crises, thereby justifying the imposition of new caretaker committees for a three-month period.
However, the Edo PDP says Orbih acted alone and without the blessing of the national leadership, branding his actions as unconstitutional and a calculated attempt to destabilize the party from within.
This latest political drama highlights the deepening internal crisis within the PDP ahead of upcoming elections, fueling speculations about cross-party alliances and internal sabotage. With the Edo 2025 political season heating up, observers say the rift between Orbih and the state PDP leadership could have far-reaching implications for the party’s chances in both Edo and Bayelsa.
The political intrigue continues as all eyes now turn to the PDP’s national headquarters for clarity, while supporters and stakeholders brace for what could be another round of factional warfare within Nigeria’s main opposition party.
