Edo gov’ship: Shaibu declares support for APC candidate, PDP fumes

Ahead of the September 21 governorship election, Philip Shaibu, former Deputy Governor of Edo State, has declared his support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

Shaibu was impeached on April 8 by the state House of Assembly following a conflict with his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, over his ambition to contest the governorship election.

Speaking with journalists at St. Paul Catholic Church in Benin City, Shaibu said he cannot support the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, stating, “He is a product of godfatherism, which has been eradicated in Edo State.

“Former Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole preached against it, and I joined Obaseki to fight against godfatherism during the 2020 election. I have also learnt new political strategies from the governor.”

Shaibu thereafter declared his support for Okpebholo, saying this was because the APC candidate possessed the characteristics of a “home boy” needed to take over governance in Edo State.

“I will support a homeboy. I entered the contest to be governor of Edo State because I wanted governance to return to being a home boy—someone who understands our plight and the feelings of the people. We don’t want an outsider. We have experimented with an outsider, and it is not working. This time, we want a homeboy. We have only two home boys in the major political parties; one is in the Labour Party and one is in the APC,” he said.

Speaking on the APC candidate’s capacity, Shaibu criticised those “speaking English” as taking the state nowhere. “We are talking about governance—the man who understands the plight of the people. He wears the shoes and knows where it pinches,” he said.

Responding, Rev. Olu Martin, Deputy Director General of the PDP Governorship Campaign Council, expressed surprise at Shaibu’s arguments. He emphasised that they in the NANS group were trained to debate issues, not to be sentimental or proponents of ethnicity.

He argued that Shaibu’s “home boy” argument doesn’t hold water, saying, “Because a candidate didn’t grow up in Edo doesn’t make him a stranger in his own state.”

“I thought Shaibu would tell us that the candidate he wants to support has the capacity, intelligence, knack for excellence, and smartness, which are the hallmarks of a great leader.”

“The honourable thing he should have done is to resign from the PDP like others and support the APC candidate. His argument is that of weak people,” Martin added.