Shaibu Speaks on Governorship Aspiration

The deputy governor of Edo State, Mr. Philip Shaibu, has said the necessity to use practical governance to address the state’s developmental difficulties drove his decision to run for governor in 2024.

Shaibu stated this at the weekend in a media parley with the Edo State Journalists Forum in Abuja. He claimed that he possessed all the qualities that set him apart from anyone hoping to succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki, including experience, capacity, and expertise.

Recall that he had recently become at odds with the principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, on his desire to become the next governor of the state.

He pointed out that there was no convention or agreement over zoning and added that no candidate from Edo North had received the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship ticket since the return to democracy in 1999.

“Edo people are in dire need of practical governance, and we cannot afford to experiment again with someone who does not understand the politics and needs of Edo State.

“Everywhere, including the international scene, people are clamoring 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 a new 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?

“I have been in the system. I understand the debt profile of Edo State and I know where I can get funding to put up structures in the state. I am not coming to learn on the job. I am not coming to experiment.

”The problem we have had in the system is that we have had too many seminars, and workshops but there is no time to implement the outcome of these seminars,” the deputy governor said.

He, however, emphasized he was not desperate to be Obaseki’s successor, saying “I am not insisting on contesting. The ambition of becoming deputy governor was not mine but I made myself available.

”The ambition to be governor is still not mine but I am only making myself available. Don’t forget that the destinies of the people are connected and interwoven.

“There is no convention in Edo State on the issue of zoning, politically, traditionally, or at conferences where we met to say this is how we want to have our politics zoned.”

On whether it is the turn of Edo Central which last produced a governor in 2007, Mr Shaibu said:  “If you check out those that have been governors in Edo State, there is nowhere you will see the issue of zoning.

”We had four governors from Edo South, two from Edo Central, and only one from Edo North. When you look at the PDP, the party has never given its governorship ticket to any candidate from Edo North. If I get the ticket of the PDP, I will be the first candidate of the PDP from Edo North since 1999.

“Anyhow you look at it, equity and fairness show that Edo North should produce the next governor. When people want to whip up sentiments out of ignorance and perceived incompetence, they come up with ethnic and religious sentiments. If I become governor, I won’t be governor of Afenmai. I will be the governor of Edo State.

“I saw when Oserheimen Osunbor was governor, I saw when Adams Oshiomhole was governor and I work with Obaseki as governor.

“I know the mistakes of them all. I also know the things that were beneficial to Edo State that Osunbor, Oshiomhole, and Obaseki did. We will amplify the good things and not repeat the mistakes. You can only do this if you are a part of the system.”