The Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated former Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu for labeling the party’s governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, as an outsider.
Consequently, the ruling PDP called on Shaibu to resign from the party due to his contradictory stance of remaining a PDP member while undermining its candidate.
Shaibu, still a PDP member, announced on Sunday his support for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Senator Monday Okpebholo in the upcoming September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
He praised Okpebholo as a local who understands the state’s challenges, contrasting him with Ighodalo, whom he described as an outsider and a product of godfatherism.
“We don’t want an outsider. We have experimented with an outsider and it is not working, so this time, we want a homeboy. We have only two homeboys in the major political parties; one is in the Labour Party and one is in the All Progressives Congress.
“I chose to follow the homeboy in the APC. The man they are parading in the PDP is an outsider and we have also agreed that no more godfatherism in Edo. The man the PDP is parading is the godson of Obaseki and there is no way a godson can be governor of Edo State again,” Shaibu said.
In response on Monday, Deputy Director General of the media arm of the Edo PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Rev. Olu Martin, dismissed Shaibu’s rationale as baseless.
“Because the candidate didn’t grow up in Edo, doesn’t make him a stranger in his own state.
“I thought Shaibu would tell us that the candidate he wants to support has the capacity, intelligence, knack for excellence and smartness, which are the hallmarks of a great leader,” Martin said in a voice note sent to journalists on Monday.
Martin further stated that Shaibu’s actions are contradictory and that he should have resigned from the PDP to support the APC candidate openly.
“The honourable thing he should have done is to resign from the PDP like others and support the APC candidate. His argument is that of weak people,” he added.
Shaibu had previously contested for the PDP governorship ticket but lost to Ighodalo, who has the backing of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
