Shaibu Claims Governorship Ambition Fueled by Threats from Obaseki

Philip Shaibu, recently reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, has revealed that his determination to pursue the governorship of Edo State intensified after Governor Godwin Obaseki threatened to destroy him.

Shaibu, who has since defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), made these statements during a courtesy visit to the APC National Working Committee in Abuja on Wednesday.

He stated that his governorship ambition might have been abandoned if Governor Obaseki had approached him more reasonably. Shaibu explained, “Had the governor been reasonable and communicated respectfully, I might have reconsidered my ambition and preserved our relationship.”

Shaibu claimed he won the PDP governorship primary due to the support of 381 delegates, who were prevented from participating in the February 22 election held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin. He asserted that the delegates were unfairly excluded by the governor’s team, who allegedly replaced them with their own appointees.

“I had 400 out of 572 delegates originally. A week before the primary, I had 381 delegates, but they were refused accreditation. The governor’s team gave accreditation tags to their appointees instead,” Shaibu said. He added that court rulings had validated his delegates as the authentic representatives, contrary to the claims of the opposing faction.

Shaibu emphasized that the primary issues were political, and he remained committed to internal democracy and fair practices. He criticized Governor Obaseki for allegedly acting like a “military dictator,” stating that his ambition to govern Edo State is driven by a desire to improve the state, not personal gain.

Shaibu concluded, “If the governor had demonstrated true leadership, I might have reconsidered my run. My ambition is not inordinate; it is aimed at fixing the state.”