We held over 20 meetings with Edo Speaker, others persuading them not to defect – PDP

Leaders of the Edo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, said it held not less than twenty meetings with the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku and others to persuade them not to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The State Caretaker committee Chairman of the party, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, disclosed this while answering questions from newsmen at a press conference on Thursday in Benin City.

Aziegbemi who was reacting to the defection of the speaker to APC said the State leadership of PDP, Dr Asue Ighodalo, Osarodion Ogie, the party’s candidate and running mate during the September 21, 2025 governorship election, himself and others did everything possible to make the defected lawmakers not to leave the party.

He, however, opined that maybe his efforts and that of other leaders were not enough to persuade them to stay with the party.

“As a party we will always give every member a chance. We will always try as much as possible to engage members no matter what they do.

“I can tell you for free that the leadership of this party, the candidate, the deputy Governorship candidate, myself and a few other leaders, we held more than 20 meetings with members of the House of Assembly before now.

“So,we have engagement and we were trying to make sure that we drive home the point that guys stay where you are. It is for your own sake and the sake of your children.

“But apparently maybe our efforts were not good enough to keep him and others where they were. For that we take full responsibility for not being able to keep them.

“But I think we did all what we needed to do in terms of engaging, in terms of telling him and others to like look guys this is where we are, you should remain here and this is the best place for you”, he said.

Aziegbemi, who, however, spoke on the gale of defections by politicians across political divides in the country noted that lack of shame and integrity are the major problems in Nigeria and not corruption.

According to him, we are all pointing fingers that corruption is our main problem in this country. Take it from me, the problem of this country is the lack of Shame and lack of integrity among those that God has bestowed upon leadership in this country at many of the levels.

“In this issue, the decamping you are seeing across the board is a testament to the fact that leadership as we know it encompasses kindness, honesty and decency.

“All these have been missing in Nigeria and that is why we are where we are, because it is the lack of shame that will make you to do some of the things these many people are doing.

We held over 20 meetings with Edo Speaker, others persuading them not to defect – PDP