AHEAD of the Edo State 2024 governorship election, the state deputy governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu, will today, officially declare his intention to seek the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the forthcoming primaries of the party.
According to a close source, all was now certainly set for the epoch making event which would hold in the Edo State capital of Benin City and feature top PDP politicians from across the18 local government are as of the state and even beyond.
Shaibu dropped hint of his intention to run in the 2024 election when he spoke recently with journalists in Abuja, maintaining that Edo people were in dire need of practical governance and cannot afford to experiment again with someone who does not understand the politics and needs of Edo State.
The deputy governor added: “Everywhere, including the international scene, people are clamouring that governments should not be pushing projects that are not needed.
So, we need to do needs assessment. You cannot know the needs of the people when you don’t live with them.
“For me, competence and experience should be the watchword. Who is competent, more experienced and who will hit the ground running from day one if he becomes governor? Are we going to experiment with anew person again and the person will spend the first four years learning on the job and the next four years trying to embezzle and set up businesses in the name of consolidating on his first term?”
The source disclosed that the grand ceremony was a clear demonstration of the deputy governor’s determination to contest the primary and grab the party’s ticket in the primaries scheduled for next February.
The source, who would not want his name in print, explained that having set up structures throughout the 192 wards and 18 LGAs in Edo, met the owners of the party and rented a campaign office on Airport Road, Benin City, the stage was now set for Shaibu to finally take the leap of faith.
He said the deputy governor had since patched up with Governor Godwin Obaseki, adding that the amity between the two, which almost turned to enmity, in the wake of the former decision to run in 2024 election, has since returned to
cordiality.
He said: “The deputy governor has dotted all his i’s and crossed all his t’s. He has held series of meetings with PDP political leaders across the three senatorial districts and met ordinary Edo people. On November 27, the deputy governor, will by the Grace of God, formally make his intentions to run for the governorship election known. He’ll address Edo people and tell them why he wants to run.”
Meanwhile, the Obaseki government reacting to the plan by Shaibu to formally declare for the govenrorship welcomed the bid by
his deputy as it was within his fundamental rights to aspire.
Speaking through the Commissioner for Communication, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, the governor said: “He is free to contest now that the timetable is out. All that the government had been saying before was that it was too early to heat up the polity. But now that the timetable is out, he is free to contest, our government does not stifle the ambitions of anyone.”
Asked if Shaibu had invited the governor for the declaration, Nehikhare claimed ignorance but said he (Commissioner) had not been
invited.
“He has not invited me but if he invites me, I will not attend.”
