The Edo State Government has described Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as a destabilising figure in the state’s polity, alleging that crises often trail his political engagements.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Wednesday, Commissioner for Information in Edo State, Kassim Afegbua, said Obi’s political trajectory reflects a pattern of internal party crises.
Afegbua made the remarks while responding to discussions surrounding an alleged assassination attempt on the life of Peter Obi.
According to him, Obi’s previous visits to Edo State were followed by political unrest.
He further alleged that the crisis within the Labour Party during Obi’s membership was not resolved before his reported alignment with the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The commissioner argued that Obi exited the Labour Party amid factional disputes without demonstrating leadership capacity to resolve internal conflicts.
Afegbua warned that Edo State should not be drawn into what he characterised as internal party conflicts, stressing that any fallout arising from political activities should not be attributed to the state.
According to him: “Don’t forget that Peter Obi came the first time to Edo and there was crisis. He came second time, there was crisis.
“And Don’t also forget that within the Labor Party, they are a party of crisis, and he has exited from the Labor Party crisis without being able to resolve the crisis, which will have defined his leadership credentials.
“And now he has come to ADC, a party of disgruntled elements looking for a safe platform to express their political aspiration.
“Please don’t come and pollute the atmosphere of Edo in such a manner that whatever happens within your party, you will not want to wear us the crown.
“Peter Obi is a problem to the politics of Edo because any party he belongs is crisis. Olumide Apata just alluded to it just now.
“You see, you cannot be in a party, Labor Party, you created factions and all that. You couldn’t resolve this crisis, and you have exported the crisis to another party, ADC, members of which are essentially from PDP, and Labor Party.”
