Philip Shaibu, Edo State’s Deputy Governor, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that failing to accept him as its candidate in the state’s governorship race will spell death for the party.
On Thursday, Asue Ighodalo won the PDP primary at Benin City’s Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, while Philip Shaibu won the parallel election at a different venue.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Shuaibu reiterated that he is the real candidate of the party for the September 21 election, claiming that Edo people do not want Ighodalo, whom he described as not a homeboy.
“The option is for the PDP not to go and argue against my candidacy, if they do that PDP will lose Edo State. Edo people do not want Asue Ighodalo to be the governor of Edo State because he is not a homeboy they know.
“They are looking for someone that they know, somebody they can feel, somebody they can touch. PDP has a date with history, delegates have spoken that they want Shuaibu and I can bet you that the other eight aspirants will support Shuaibu if they party back him.
“If the party decides to join us in court to argue for Ighodalo then PDP then winning Edo State for PDP will be shaky because Asue will not be accepted by the people,” Shaibu said.
The deputy governor faulted the primary that produced Ighodalo, saying that it was organised by the state party executive instead of the national executive of the party.
He claimed that members of the state executive and the governor are supporters of Ighodalo and therefore were not going to conduct an unbiased election.
Shaibu insisted that he was elected by the authentic delegates of the party in the state.
“I was elected by the authentic delegates, what is key is who are those that elected the governor’s preferred candidate Asue and who are those that elected Philip Shaibu? I think in the coming days we will know who among them are authentic,” he said.
Shaibu also said his relationship with Governor Godwin Obaseki is not the best at the moment, suggesting that his governorship ambition could be the reason behind the strained relationship with the governor.
‘Not Worried About Shaibu’
Meanwhile, Ighodalo, who emerged as the candidate in the other primary on Thursday, said he is not worried about the emergence of Shaibu as a parallel flagbearer for the party.
Despite the seeming confusion, Ighodalo is not bothered, hinging his resolve on the law.
“We went through the proper process. I’m not worried about Philip Shaibu’s emergence as a parallel candidate,” he said on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today hours after his declaration as the winner of the exercise.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) did everything in accordance with the rule of law. From what I have seen, due process was followed. That some people did not agree with it does not mean it is not the right process.”
Ighodalo, a financial expert, beat nine other aspirants to emerge as the PDP candidate for the September 24 election in the South-South state.