Edo guber: Shaibu defies Obaseki, unveils governorship bid

Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has challenged his boss, Governor Godwin Obaseki, by announcing his intention to run for the governorship position.

The Deputy Governor, who has been at loggerheads with his boss, revealed his aspiration to become the next governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP.

Explaining why he decided to join the race, Philip, who was recently thrown out of the Deputy Governor’s Lodge, said, “Edo needs a practical leader.”

He implied that Obaseki, who has governed the state for almost 8 years now, was an experimental governor.

Speaking to reporters in Benin City, Philip said, “With the 2024 Edo governorship election around the corner, the state cannot afford to gamble 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 gamble again with somebody who does not understand the politics of a good state and the needs of the people.

“So, everything we have to do should be evaluated. You cannot know the needs of people when you don’t live with them. So for me, competence and experience should be the keywords as we go into the election in 2024.

“Who is competent? Who is more experienced? Who will hit the ground running from day one?

“Are we going to gamble 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 and set up his businesses in the name of consolidating on the gains of the first term.

“Or do we need a governor who, from day one, will hit the ground running?