Philip Shaibu, former deputy governor of Edo State has argued that any governorship candidate who cannot speak the Edo dialect cannot govern the state, a reference to Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate.
Shaibu who spoke during the Edo Central PDP leaders and stakeholders meeting held in Irrua, the administrative headquarters of Esan Central Local Government Area of the state on Monday, said he would support only a homeboy to become the governor of the state.
According to him, a candidate who needed the help of an interpreter did not qualify as a homeboy because of his inability to speak the dialect of the Edo people.
“Today, we have decided that a homeboy that we know will become the governor of Edo State. You already know that Edo born in Lagos State is not a homeboy," he said.
“Is somebody who comes here with an interpreter a homeboy? So, if that is a minus it means we will look for a homeboy.”
While he didn't mention any candidate by name, Shaibu was obviously referring to Ighodalo who had been under fire after he hired an interpreter to announce his intention to his kinsmen at a ward in Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area of the state earlier.
Ighodalo was seen in a video when he met with his kinsmen.
In the video, Ighodalo, who was vying for the PDP ticket then, addressed the crowd in English Language to seek their support while an interpreter translated his words into the Esan Language.
Similarly, Dan Orbih, the party’s National Vice Chairman, South-South Zone, who spoke at the event, vowed not to campaign for the party if the crisis in the party is not solved.
Orbih said the re-election of Godwin Obaseki has only brought pain and anger to members of the party and the people of the state at large.
“In Edo State PDP, all is not well. Until I see concrete steps taken by the PDP government in the state to address all those issues that we have raised in the cause of our campaigns, until I see concrete steps to address the promises we made to the Edo people, I will not be able to face anybody to say vote the PDP at the next election.
“If they can treat you the way they treated you, you can imagine what it will be if we allow them to continue. I can see pain and anger in the faces of our people and members. I can not pretend to say all is well and I have come out clearly to decline to serve in the Edo State PDP governorship Campaign Council. My decision is based on how I feel. Members of the PDP were badly treated after the re-election of Godwin Obaseki,” he stated.
Prior to the PDP governorship primary election, Obaseki and Shaibu, along with their supporters have been in disagreement over who will be the PDP’s candidate.
Ighodalo, however, emerged as the winner of the PDP primary election with Shaibu being impeached as the deputy governor of the state.
This deepened the division within the state chapter of the party as opposition gathers within the party against Obaseki and the party’s candidate.
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