Notwithstanding the initial setback to his plans, Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, on Monday made good his intention to seek the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party in next year’s Governorship election.
Shaibu made his declaration known in a pre-recorded televised announcement on Monday morning.
“As your deputy governor in the last seven years, I have had the privilege of working closely with our amiable governor, Godwin Obaseki, to lay a solid foundation for the progress in Edo State,” he said.
Following his declaration, Shaibu inaugurated his campaign office in Benin City, the capital of the state. The event witnessed a large gathering of party supporters.
At his campaign office, he said, “The project for me to be the governor of Edo State is not just mine; it’s a collective one. We have decided in Edo State that original own boy, 100 per cent, has to be the governor of Edo State.
“After all the consultations we have made, we needed to now make the answer to our consultation known to our people. And the answer is clear: they have asked me to run.”
Shaibu’s ambition runs counter to the thinking of the state governor, who is said to favour a successor from Edo Central.
Shaibu is from Edo North while Governor Obadeki is from Edo South. Senator Adams Oshiomhole who handed over to Obadeki is from Edo North.
Political observers have said that the development may trigger another round of acrimony within the PDP which only recently managed to settle a fierce face-off between the Governor and his Deputy. And even with that, his office was relocated outside Government House to a Government Reservation Area in the state capital, Benin.
