Philip Shaibu, Edo State’s deputy governor, is sure of winning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket in the next governorship election on September 22.
Shaibu and his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, have clashed over the former’s ambition to succeed the latter, whose second term is coming to an end.
The PDP has already scheduled its primary election for February 3, during which a flagbearer for the general election would be chosen. Regardless of their differences, Shaibu, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, stated that Obaseki will support him.
“I can bet you that Mr Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State, my boss and senior brother will support me,” he said.
“He has said it at the secretariat where we had our stakeholders meeting that whoever wins, he will support and whoever that will win is nobody but Philip Shaibu.”
Obaseki Backing Ighodalo?
Ahead of the PDP primary election, the deputy governor will contend with a lot of aspirants under the party’s platform. It is however the delegates that will determine who will fly the PDP flag in the September poll.
One of the aspirants is Asue Ighodalo, a Lagos-based lawyer and former chairman of Sterling Bank, who is believed to be Obaseki‘s preferred successor. Ighodalo hails from Ewohimi in Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo Central District, an area that Governor Obaseki wants power to shift to.
During the show, the presenter asked if the governor was backing Ighodalo. Responding, Shaibu said his boss has denied supporting the lawyer.
Shaibu said, “He has denied supporting Asue even when we know he is supporting him. But that is not an issue for me. I am a homeboy and I understand the politics of Edo State.
“As somebody who is experienced, I have an edge over him. He is coming with private sector experience. I am coming with both private sector and public sector experience.”
He also claimed to have the structure of PDP in the state, arguing that his region, Edo North, delivered more than 50 per cent of PDP votes in the February 25, 2023 presidential poll in the state.