Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State, has said his integrity would not allow him to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which provided him cover when he was in distress.
Obaseki gave the assurance when speaking to State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Governor, who was responding to a comment about his likely return to the All Progressives Congress, APC, explained that he did not leave the ruling party on his own volition but was forced out.
He said he would not have returned as Governor if not for the PDP.
Dispelling the rumour of his likely exit from the PDP to return to the APC, the Governor said: “I think I’ve shown that I’m a politician with integrity and I have made it very clear that I didn’t leave the other party on my own, I was pushed out of the party, and someone else gave me cover, gave me an opportunity.
“It will not be the right thing to do to now leave who helped you, who gave you the umbrella in your storm, and then go back to the person who pushed you out.”
Reacting to the lingering internal crisis in the Edo state chapter of the PDP, the governor said as a party that was in opposition for 12 years, it would take a while to develop an understanding among new and olds members.
“You have to understand that this is politics. My current party was in opposition for 12 years and this is the first time the party is being in government.
“So, it will take a while for everybody to come together to have an understanding of the new role and the new position we occupy.
“It’s only a natural and normal process in party politics. But I can assure you it’s been sorted. Yes, we had a peculiar situation. So, it’s not just about me coming to join your party.
“There were some internal crises, even in the old party, which we’re trying to heal. We’ve made some significant progress and I believe that it will be sorted out before our convention.”
