In light of Godwin Obaseki’s refusal to support him in the approaching 2024 governorship race, Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo State who is also a Peoples’ Democratic Party’s 2024 governorship candidate, has stated his feelings of betrayal.
Shaibu, who asserts he was persuaded into serving as Obaseki’s deputy governor, stated he improved the political framework and financial standing of Obaseki’s administration.
Shaibu said, “My support is organic and not procured unlike the governor who is using taxpayer’s money to procure support,” in an interview that aired on Arise TV on Wednesday morning.
The deputy governor who claimed he was hurt that Obaseki is supporting an outsider instead of him emphasized that he later even realized that in all his investments in supporting Obaseki’s second term, he was duped.
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“I feel betrayed by the governor. I lost about 20% of my political capital in Edo north to support Godwin Obaseki and in supporting him, even as a deputy governor with no line financially, through my friends and all that, I supported the second term bid of the governor with my structure, all my vehicles and my finances including how we got the ticket of PDP, I contributed in naira and in dollars and I discovered that I was even duped. So, if I say betrayal, it’s an understatement. I feel hurt and betrayed.”
Shaibu continued by saying that because he is a man who understands the emotions of the people, he is the ideal candidate to lead the people of Edo State. The people of Edo, he continued, are tired of tinkering and are ready for a real leader.
He claimed that he (Shaibu) has extremely natural followers, in contrast to Obaseki, who court favours using public funds.
“The issue of being from Edo north or from Oshiomole’s incline is just an imagination of the governor and his team and they are pushing it just to have his partner to be the governor of Edo state and that would not work. I am a strict person. When you go deep down to check the feelings of the people, they need somebody that they know, somebody they can touch, somebody that is with them in pepper soup joint and I represent that person they are yearning for now. Edo people don’t want to experiment again.
“People are saying Shaibu is one popular deputy governor. I only have two government portfolios but I have to be feeling the gaps because I am close to the people, I know what they feel. The real issue is what value am I bringing in? The real agenda is that Edo north has never been giving tickets to contest for governorship of Edo state by the PDP.
“So, if we go into the concept of equity and fairness that the governor is sponsoring and that equity and fairness seems to favor PDP, it seems to favor Philip Shaibu. My contesting this election is not just for the fluke. The people are interested in it and that is why anywhere I go, I see organic support. My support is not procured just like the governor is using taxpayer’s money to procure support.”
