Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will lose the state if he is not adopted as the candidate of the party in the September governorship election.
“The option is for the PDP not to go and argue against my candidacy, if they do that PDP will lose Edo State,” Mr Shaibu boasted on Channels TV Friday morning, adding that: “Edo people do not want Asue Ighodalo to be the governor of Edo State because he is not a homeboy they know.”
Featuring on the broadcast station’s Sunrise Daily, the deputy governor who emerged winner of a parallel primary in the state yesterday described himself as a grassroot politician.
“They (electorates) 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 the party back him.”
Mr Shaibu, against the wish of Governor Godwin Obaseki, intends to succeed his principal who supported another aspirant, Asue Ighodalo, to emerge winner of the exercise at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium with over 500 votes.
He faulted the primary at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium Ighodalo, saying that it was organised by the party’s state executives and the governor who are supporters of Mr Ighodalo instead of the national executive of the party who are expected to conduct an unbiased election.
Mr Shuaibu insisted that he was elected by the authentic delegates of the party in the state.
“I was elected by the authentic, what is key is who are those that elected the governor’s preferred candidate Asue and who are those that elected Philip Shuaibu? I think in the coming days we will know who among them are authentic,” he said.
