Barely a week after the lead spokesman of the Team Asue Media Organisation, TAMO, Deacon Darlington Okpebholo Ray, resigned from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), another prominent member of the campaign team, the North America Coordinator of the Ighodalo PDP campaign team, Mrs. Princess Omonigho Olumese Urhoghide, has also left the party.
This development is particularly significant as both Olumese-Urhoghide and Ray hail from Edo Central and Esan North East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, a key political stronghold.
In her resignation letter addressed to the PDP ward chairman of Esan North East LGA and exclusively obtained by Truth Live News, the American-based founding member of the PDP expressed deep disenchantment with the party’s current trajectory. “I wish to formally and publicly announce my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a party I once believed carried the values of justice, fairness, and true democratic leadership,” she wrote. Olumese-Urhoghide, who joined the PDP in 1999, stated that “the current state of the PDP has betrayed these principles,” accusing the party of becoming “a fragmented platform hijacked by personal interests.”
She further declared, “I cannot and will not be part of a structure that enables oppression, promotes division, and supports anti-people policies. To remain in such a system would be to silence my conscience and betray the Nigerian people who desperately yearn for genuine change.” Her scathing critique underscores the growing unrest within the PDP’s ranks, particularly within the Asue Ighodalo Campaign Organisation. She added, “As a patriotic Nigerian, since I joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999, I have always stood for transparency, equity, and transformational leadership,” highlighting her long-standing commitment to these values, which she believes the PDP no longer upholds.
In a bold move, Olumese-Urhoghide announced her immediate alignment with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which she hailed as “the party of hope, people-driven leadership, and national unity.” She praised the ADC’s commitment to “youth inclusion, good governance, and fairness,” aligning these values with her vision for a better Nigeria. “The Coalition movement under ADC embodies the dream of a better Nigeria,” she emphasized in her letter, adding that her decision to join the ADC was made “with a clear mind and a strong sense of duty.”
Olumese-Urhoghide’s exit is especially notable given her influential role as the North America Coordinator for the Ighodalo campaign and her deep roots in Esan North East. Her defection follows a similar path taken by other disenchanted PDP members, signaling intensifying internal struggles within the party.
Framing her resignation as a call to action, she wrote, “This is not just a resignation — this is a bold step toward liberation. The future of our country lies in our hands, and I am proud to continue this journey with the ADC family.”
She rallied her supporters, stating, “Together, we will rise. Together, we will reclaim Nigeria.” Addressing her supporters directly, she urged, “To my supporters, fellow comrades, and the good people of Nigeria,” to join her in this new political journey, emphasizing her commitment to remain “in service to the people.”
This high-profile departure is likely to intensify scrutiny on the PDP’s internal struggles, as her move to the ADC could inspire further defections, particularly among those who share her concerns about the PDP’s leadership and direction. As the political landscape in Edo State continues to shift, the ADC stands to gain momentum from this significant alignment.