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Edo PDP deputy chairman quits, 

 IT is not the best of time for the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State.

While the ACN is grappling with the mass defection of aggrieved members, the PDP Deputy Chairman, Mr. John Jesuorobo, has resigned over alleged irreconcilable differences with his boss, Chief Dan Orbih.

He also accused Orbih of refusing to call a meeting of members of the State Executive Council (SEC) of the party on how to move it forward.

But in a swift reaction, the PDP Director of Mobilisation, Paschal Ugbome, described the allegations as unfounded. "His lies about why he is leaving the party are very embarrassing to us and he should not mislead Edo people. What happened was that he came into the party with one Isaiah Osifo, who was a product of settlement and harmonisation of the party after the crisis. So, most of them in that group left with Osifo, it is no longer news.

"When his mentor, Isaiah Osifo, failed to clinch the senatorial ticket, he went to Labour Party. So, instead of telling Edo people why he left, he is trying to mislead them. It is very logical that he has to go with his mentor and stop making allegations against the chairman".

But in a statement yesterday, Jesuorobo described the former Chief of Staff, Osifo as the best candidate for the senatorial seat in Edo-South in the forthcoming elections.

"The failure of the PDP in the state to organise free and fair primaries further reduced the confidence of the public in the ability of the PDP to provide a responsible democratic government. Osifo left the PDP to pick the Edo-South Senatorial ticket of the Labour Party.

"It is on this point that I resigned. My desire in the pursuit of sustainable democracy cannot be frustrated by my resignation from that office and membership of the PDP", he said.

Meanwhile, ACN members, who are still not satisfied with the recent conduct of the party's primaries, are to dump it for the PDP.

This came on the heels of efforts by the leadership of the ACN to reconcile the aggrieved members at a peace meeting on Monday in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Council, which Governor Adams Oshiomhole attended.

He urged members of the party to always use internal mechanism to resolve all intra-party crises to ensure peace in the party. "Whatever are our frustrations, we have to move forward. We are going to institutionalise this forum and from time to time, we will sit together to discuss what affects us", Oshiomhole said.

Those who attended the meeting were the senatorial candidate of the party in Edo-North, Dr. Domingo Obende, Peter Akpatasson, House of Representatives candidate and Commissioner for Arts and Culture, Abdul Oroh, among others..

But hundreds of PDP supporters led by Orbih on Wednesday received former Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Tunde Lakoju and Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police, Mike Okuo, who left ACN for the PDP.

At the well-attended ceremony in Igarra, Orbih, while receiving the new comers, said the party was ready to reclaim power from the ACN, which he said, has made the state a debtor.  But he called on members of the party to intensify their campaign to achieve that aim.