‘I cannot be intimidated out of Edo governorship race,’ Boastful Shaibu dares Obaseki

The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, said on Thursday he cannot be intimidated out of the September 21 governorship election in the state.

Shaibu stated this when he returned his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship nomination form at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

The deputy governor, who alleged that some elders in PDP had been bought over, however, expressed delight that youths and some elders were strongly behind him.

He also claimed that he had been harassed and intimidated because of his ambition.

Shaibu has been at loggerheads with Governor Godwin Obaseki over his governorship ambition since last year.

He expressed disappointment earlier this month that Obaseki has declared support for another aspirant despite his support for the governor in the last eight years.

He said: “By the grace of God, our support is organic, it is not procured. I am not an aspirant that is being pushed; I am not an aspirant that is cut off from the people.

“Edo people, the voters know me, they touch me and they feel me. We have already dealt with the issue of godfatherism but it is rearing its ugly head again.

“I am happy that the governor had told us that even if he tries to impose somebody on us as the new godfather we should deal with him.

“We are standing on the mandate of the people. My support is organic and with Shaibu, PDP will retain its seat in Edo State.

“We started the journey of rescuing Edo State in 2006 and we were conscious of what we wanted to achieve.

“We said that we needed to take our state back and return it to the people and we did take the state back and returned it to the people.

READ ALSO: Shaibu alleges Obaseki playing the role of ‘godfather’ in Edo

“Along the line, something happened and the state is about to be hijacked again and we said no.

“This election is another challenge, they want to take the state from Edo people and return it to businessmen and we are saying no because Edo State cannot return to Egypt.

“Edo State will continually move forward and the only way it can move forward is if power resides with the people.

“PDP says ‘Power to the People’ and not power to business friends or business colleagues.

“I will tell the PDP leadership that some of us have been harassed. I have received a lot of intimidation, but unfortunately for me, it is like a cross that God has asked me to carry.

“All my life has been a life of harassment and intimidation. Buy in all the intimidation, I have always come out successful.”

Shaibu said he was in the race not because of any inordinate ambition, but for his desire to save Edo from businessmen who wanted to take over the state.

“I have set up a committee already on what we are going to do. I understand the feeling of the people.

“We already have our plans on what we are going to do,” he stated.

The PDP Deputy National Organising Secretary, Pascal Adigwe, who acknowledged Shaibu’s record of achievements, urged him and other aspirants to embrace peace in the pursuit of their ambition.

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