Impeached Gov Shaibu Under Fire: PDP Calls for Resignation

Philip Shaibu

PDP encourages impeached Governor Philip Shaibu to “resign like others” after endorsing an opposition candidate ahead of the Edo election.

Edo PDP tells impeached Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu to resign after endorsing APC candidate, calls his actions 'hypocritical' and 'weak'.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has denounced Philip Shaibu, the state's impeached deputy governor, for referring to Asue Ighodalo, the party's nominee for governor, as an outsider.

The party suggested that Shaibu should resign from the PDP, claiming it was contradictory for him to stay in the organization while criticizing the party's candidate for governor.

On Sunday, June 16, PDP member Shaibu announced his endorsement of Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) nominee in the state's upcoming September 21 gubernatorial election.

He highlighted that Okpebholo, a native who was aware of the difficulties facing the state, stood in contrast to the

“We don't want an outsider. We have experimented with an outsider and it is not working, so this time, we want a homeboy. We have only two homeboys in the major political parties; one is in the Labour Party and one is in the All Progressives Congress.

“I chose to follow the homeboy in the APC. The man they are parading in the PDP is an outsider and we have also agreed that no more godfatherism in Edo. The man the PDP is parading is the godson of Obaseki and there is no way a godson can be governor of Edo State again,” Shaibu had said.

He made it clear that Okpebholo was different from PDP candidate Ighodalo, whom he described as an alien and a byproduct of godfatherism, in that he was a native who understood the difficulties facing the state.

On Monday, June 17, in reaction, Rev. Olu Martin, Deputy Director General of the Edo PDP Governorship Campaign Council's media division, rejected Shaibu's justification for supporting the APC candidate as illogical.

“Because the candidate didn't grow up in Edo, doesn't make him a stranger in his own state.

“I thought Shaibu would tell us that the candidate he wants to support has the capacity, intelligent, knack for excellence and smartnees, which are the hallmarks of a great leader,” Martin said in a voice note sent to journalists on Monday.

Martin went on to say that Shaibu's continued membership in the PDP and his opposition to the party's nominee were incompatible.

“The honourable thing he should have done is to resign from the PDP like others and support the APC candidate. His argument is that of weak people,” he said.

Governor Godwin Obaseki's supporter Ighodalo defeated Shaibu in the PDP governorship campaign.