By joshua 
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi will on Sunday the 14th of March 2021 celebrate his one year in office.
Aziegbemi was elected as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), state Chairman on the 14th of March, 2020.
The PDP took over the mantle of the state under the stewardship of Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, when the party defeated the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the September 19th 2020 Governorship election in the state.
Aziegbemi, who was the dark horse during the party Primary, went into the trenches to galvanise the required critical support, and when the party’s congress eventually held, he emerged the winner.
This one year anniversary is expected to have party members accross the entire South-South geo-political zone converge in the accient City of Benin, Edo State.
The PDP indeed, has every reason to celebrate. Here was a party living in the shadows of its past glory and suddenly, it transformed into the ruling party, with alot of achievements.
Edo people may not expect anything less than a carnival of sort, as the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), in Edo in the state have proven to them that is ready to give the devidence of democracy, with the present government of governor Godwin Obaseki led administration.
In comparison, there is clearing difference of the PDP of yesterday and the PDP of today. The difference, as they say, is as crystal clear as that of between day and night.
The September 19 victory is what later spurred the PDP into life. This Esan born politician, with a Ph.D in Economics from a Russian University, is not push over as far as Edo politics is concerned. Having had his political baptism as a member of the House of Representatives in the 7th and 8th National Assembly, he had enough tutelage in the game to know how to outsmart opponents and the rest.
As party chairman, the place of Dr. Aziegbemi in the chequered history of the party in Edo State is already secured. From near obscurity to fame. From divisive and acrimonious infighting among various factions to solidity and cohesiveness. From opposition to being the ruling party.
Looking back, it’s obvious that the winning aura and charisma, coupled with hard work as well as broad based support, catapulted the PDP to the top in Edo State and broke a 12 year streak of election losses at the gubernatorial level.
The September 19 Edo 2020 victory of Mr. Godwin Obaseki and Comrade Philip Shuaibu was simply an icing on the cake. Three factors have been identified as having aided the PDP victory: one, solid foundation, two, the PDP candidates in the election, that is, the duo of Obaseki and Shaibu and; three, the winning aura of Dr. Tony Aziegbemi.
At the completion of his primary education in Warri, Delta State, he switched base and moved to Anglican Grammar School, Benin City, now Eghosa , from there to Edo College, Benin for his A/Levels. As a result of his brilliance, he got a federal government scholarship to study abroad. He chose the old Soviet Union and did not return home until he plucked the highest educational attainment anybody can dream of – a Ph.D in Economics.
In Edo political circles, some observers have described the PDP State Chairman as the “David who killed Goliath”.
If we go by that logic, it, therefore, means that the coming of Dr. Tony Aziegbemi as the State Chairman of the PDP in 2020 had the hands of God in the project.End.