The deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not win the gubernatorial election in the state if he is not recognised as the governorship candidate of the party.
Former Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, Asue Ighodalo, was declared the winner of the PDP primary election held in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Thursday, February 22, 2024, while Shaibu emerged as the candidate in another primaries held in a different venue.
The gubernatorial election has been slated for September 21, 2024.
However, the deputy governor, in an interview with Channels Television on Friday, February 23, said he remains the PDP standard bearer.
Shaibu stressed that he was elected by the authentic delegates of the party in Edo State, saying the people of the state do not want Ighodalo.
Edo 2024: Ex-bank chair, Ighodalo, emerges PDP candidate
He said: “The option is for the PDP not to go and argue against my candidacy. If they do that, PDP will lose Edo State. Edo people do not want Asue Ighodalo to be the governor of Edo State because he is not a homeboy they know.
“They are looking for someone that they know, somebody they can feel, somebody they can touch. PDP has a date with history, delegates have spoken that they want Shaibu and I can bet you that the other eight aspirants will support Shaibu if the party backs him.
“If the party decides to join us in court to argue for Ighodalo then PDP then winning Edo State for PDP will be shaky because Asue will not be accepted by the people.”
The deputy governor further faulted the primaries that produced Ighodalo, saying it was organised by the state party executive instead of the national executive of the PDP.
He added that the members of the state executive are supporters of Ighodalo, describing the primaries as a biased election.
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