Edo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tony Aziegbemi, has said the withdrawal of the lawsuit filed by the deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, stopping his principal, Godwin Obaseki and the House of Assembly from impeaching him, was the first step towards resolving the rift between the duo.

He stated that there was no need for the lawsuit in the first place as other conflict resolution techniques would have been used to resolve the problem between the two prominent citizens of the state.

He said, “It is commendable that the deputy governor has withdrawn the case from court. There was no need for the case in the first place as the issue could have been solved using other methods.

“Over a week ago, I said that our desire as a party is to ensure a peaceful resolution of the rift and the withdrawal of the suit is the first step toward finding a lasting solution to the rift. We need unity to excel as a party,” Aziegbemi added.

It had been reported that Philip Shaibu withdrew the lawsuit he filed at the Federal High Court aimed at thwarting the alleged effort by Obaseki to unseat him from office.

In a statement, Shaibu said his decision was based on the need to respect the intervention of several individuals, including religious, prominent Edo people and the traditional institution, while also appreciating the governor for agreeing to the peace initiatives.

Speaking on Saturday’s local government election, the PDP chairman commended the Edo State Independent Electoral Committee for standing upright and shunning all intimidation and blackmail tactics deployed by some enemies of democracy, before and during the elections.

He also commended the people for coming out in their numbers to vote for the PDP, stating that the landslide victory recorded was a reflection of the dominance of the party in the state and an endorsement of the administration of Governor Obaseki.

He added, “On our part, as a party, we shall strive to ensure that the elected representatives keep to the dictates of the manifesto of the party which emphasizes transparency, equity, fairness and justice in the utilization of resources for the development of our local governments for the overall benefits of our people.

“We will not take this overwhelming vote of confidence in our party by the Edo State voters for granted. We make a covenant this day not to disappoint the people.”

He noted that the elected chairmen and councillors would immediately key into the templates put in place by the Governor Obaseki-led administration, which had turned Edo State into a hub of new businesses, educational revitalization, sports, agriculture and other essentials of development.