Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has boldly announced his intention to run for the governorship position, challenging his superior, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The Deputy Governor, engaged in a public feud with Governor Obaseki and recently evicted from the Deputy Governor’s Lodge, expressed his gubernatorial aspirations within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Philip justified his decision by emphasizing the need for a practical leader in Edo. He criticized Governor Obaseki, labeling him an experimental governor who lacks an understanding of the state’s politics and the people’s needs.
Speaking to reporters in Benin City, Philip asserted, “With the 2024 Edo governorship election fast approaching, the state cannot afford to experiment again with someone who does not understand the politics of the state or the needs of the people. Edo people need practical governance and you cannot experiment again with somebody that does not understand the politics of a good state and the needs of the people.”
He further emphasized the importance of competence and experience in the upcoming election, questioning the wisdom of experimenting with a new candidate who might spend the initial term learning on the job. Philip posed the key questions, “Who is competent? Who is more experienced? Who will hit the ground running from day one?”
“Are we going to experiment with a new person again? And the person will spend the first four years learning on the job and he will spend another four years trying to embezzle, set up his businesses in the name of consolidating on the gains of the first term.
In outlining his vision for Edo, he advocated for a governor with immediate competence and experience, ready to address the state’s needs from the onset.
