The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo has appealed to Chief Mathew Emiohe, a chieftain of the party in the area, to reconsider his decision to retire from active partisan politics.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the leaders were headed by Mr. Aselm Ojezua, a former state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a close supporter of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration.
Appeals were made to Emiohe to change his decision, as he was still needed to help reposition the PDP in the council area and the state at large, according to Ojezua, who claimed that they were taken by surprise by what he outlined as a hasty decision by Emiohe.
“We are here because it is significant to have him back. His decision to abandon the house he helped to build is not expected and acceptable.
“Chief Emiohe is part of the people who helped in redefining politics in the state. He has the right to his decision but we have reminded him of what he will be doing to his followers and supporters should he refuse our plea.
“But thanks to God that he has listened to us and we have also promised to bring to the attention of the government those things he said had informed his earlier decision to quit politics.
Emiohe has been regarded as a powerful mobilizer and supporter of the party by another leader of the party in the local government area, Mr. Macaulay Shaka-Momodu, who believes that Emiohe cannot afford to step away from active politics at this time.
“As they say, a tree does not make a forest, but there are some trees that can make a forest and Emiohe is one of those trees.
“He is a born politician; he is at home with his people and he is a great mobilizer who we cannot allow to go just like that.”
In his own opinion, “We need him to play partisan politics because there are many battles ahead.”
According to Mr. Jonathan Aigbiremohen, a former chairman of the council, Mr. Emiohe was responsible for bringing several people from the APC to the PDP, and he stressed that the people still required his assistance.
“Whatever must have happened in government, you don’t quit the system because you are angry. You need to stay back to correct the perceived abnormality in the system,” he explained.
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In his response, Emiohe, who expressed gratitude to the party leaders for their visit, clarified that his decision to leave politics was not motivated by the dissolution of the Governing Council of Ambrose Alli University, of which he was a member, as had been previously reported.
It was the lack of government presence in his community that led to his choice to leave partisan politics, he explained.
The lack of teachers at two government-owned schools, as well as the poor condition of the roads in his town, were among the issues raised by the PDP leader.
“First and foremost, I must express my gratitude for their presence, which demonstrates the amount of respect they have for me.
Having listened to them, I’ve concluded that I cannot influence things from the outside. I need to be on the inside to be able to accomplish things.
“I must, first of all, appreciate their coming because it shows the level of respect they have for me.
“I have listened to them and I have decided that I cannot change things from outside. I need to be inside to be able to make things happen.
“It was never a personal thing but those that affect my people and my community.
“For instance, a school of about 200 students in my community does not have teachers, while another one with the same population has only two teachers. We do not also have a road.
“All these I have written severally to the relevant authorities without success,” he started.
