He never had the resources nor political appeal to be Governor we made him one — Dep Gov
He never had the resources nor political appeal to be Governor we made him one — Dep Gov
Philip Shaibu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, has refuted claims that Governor Godwin Obaseki granted him political significance.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, on Friday, Shaibu argued that the situation was actually the reverse.
Shaibu explained that he was selected as Obaseki’s running mate in the 2016 elections specifically to enhance the political appeal of the ticket.
He asserted that at the time, Governor Obaseki lacked the political experience and financial resources necessary to effectively campaign on his own.
He said: “We made Obaseki governor. Obaseki was not a politician, and Obaseki was not financially strong enough to contest the election. Oshiomhole brought him, and when Oshiomhole brought him, some of us argued that it could not be him.
“It took Oshiomhole three months to convince some of our supporters and me to support Obaseki. And when we decided because of Oshiomhole, because of our respect for him, to support him (Obaseki), he did not bring money. We brought our resources and our friends to bring money and we brought our political capital to make him governor.
“He is not the one that made me; I made him. I was asked to be his deputy to add political value because he was not a politician.”
Despite once being allies, Shaibu and Governor Obaseki are now in conflict over the upcoming governorship election on September 21, 2024.
Shaibu was reinstated by a Federal High Court after being impeached by the Edo State House of Assembly on charges of misconduct.
However, Obaseki has not acknowledged Shaibu’s reinstatement, asserting that an appeal has been filed against the court’s decision.
