Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo's Esan Central Local Government Area have urged Chief Mathew Emiohe, a party leader in the area, to reconsider his decision to leave partisan politics.
The leaders were headed by Mr. Aselm Ojezua, a former state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a close supporter of Gov. Godwin Obaseki, according to news reports.
Ojezua, who said they were taken aback by Emiohe's "sudden decision," pleaded with him to reconsider, saying he was still required to assist PDP reposition itself in the council area and the state as a whole.
"We've come because having him back is important. His choice to quit the home he assisted in the construction of was unexpected and unacceptable.
"Chief Emiohe is one of the people who contributed to the state's reshaping of politics. He has the right to make his own decision, but we have reminded him of what he will do to his supporters and followers if he rejects our request.
"But thank God, he has listened to us, and we have also committed to bringing to the notice of the administration those matters he said had influenced his decision to leave politics," he said.
In a similar vein, Mr. Macaulay Shaka-Momodu, another party leader in the local government area, hailed Emiohe as a powerful mobilizer and supporter of the party who could not afford to leave active politics today.
"A tree does not form a forest, but there are some trees that can, and Emiohe is one of them," says the narrator.
"He is a natural politician; he is at ease with his people, and he is a powerful mobilizer who we can not let go without a fight.
He remarked, "We need him to play partisan politics because there are a lot of conflicts ahead."
Mr. Jonathan Aigbiremohen, a former chairman of the council, said Emiohe was responsible for bringing several people over from the APC to the PDP, emphasising that the people still needed his help.
"Whatever happens in the government, you don't leave because you're upset with it." You must stay back to repair the system's perceived abnormality, "he stated.
In his response, Emiohe thanked the party leaders for their visit and clarified that his decision to leave politics was not due to the breakup of Ambrose Alli University's Governing Council, of which he was a member.
He cited a lack of government presence in his area as the reason for his decision to leave partisan politics.
The PDP leader cited a dearth of teachers at two government-run schools as well as the poor state of the roads in his neighborhood.
"First and foremost, I must express my gratitude for their presence, which demonstrates their regard for me.
"I've listened to them, and I've come to the conclusion that I can't influence things from the outside. To be able to make things happen, I need to be inside.
"It was never about me; it was always about my people and my community.
"For example, in my neighborhood, one school with roughly 200 pupils has no teachers, while another with the same number has only two teachers. We do not have access to a road.
"I have written to the relevant authorities on all of these issues multiple times without success," he stated.
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