The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Thursday, won the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after emerging as winner of the parallel primaries of the party for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Shaibu won the parallel primaries with 301 votes while Governor Godwin Obaseki’s faction of the party had yet to commence the election.
The party delegates affirmed their support for Shaibu while insisting that they were the “authentic delegates”.
Announcing the results of the primaries, an electoral officer said, “After doing the counting of this primary election, Philip Shaibu has a score of 301. Therefore, we hereby declare Philip Shaibu as the authentic elected candidate for this election in PDP.”
The PDP on Thursday held its governorship primary in the state with 10 aspirants battling for 563 delegates votes in the indirect primary.
The 10 PDP aspirants in the primary election held at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, the state capital to produce the party’s governorship candidate for the forthcoming September 21 governorship election include Shuaibu; a former Chairman of Sterling Bank, Asue Ighodalo; and Blessing Igbinedion, daughter of Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion.
Others are Anselm Ojezua, Felix Akhabue, Martin Uhomoibhi, Hadizat Umoru, and Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Dr Earl Onaiwu and Arthur Esene.
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The deputy governor and his principal, Governor Obaseki have been at loggerheads over the former’s decision to succeed the latter.
SaharaReporters reported that the deputy governor in December 2023 claimed that the state government had given zero allocation to his office for six months.
Shaibu made this known while speaking to newsmen at the inauguration of the secretariat of the Correspondents Chapel of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benin City.
He added that he had been running the office from his pocket and donations from friends.
Egalitarian Voice reported that Shaibu’s claim may be connected to the lingering political crisis between Obaseki and him.
The crisis deepened in September when Shaibu decided to relocate his office to a new location outside the State Government House.
The new deputy governor’s office used to be the state Public Procurement Office inaugurated by a former governor of the state, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole, on December 16, 2014.
It was also earlier reported how Shaibu wanted to formally declare his intention to run for the governorship race in the state.
The deputy governor’s plan was contained in a letter issued by the Philip Shaibu Campaign Organisation which was dated November 23 and signed by the deputy governor. This move was targeted to dare his principal who is against his governorship ambition.
