Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has said that Monday’s meeting of PDP leaders in Edo North held at the instance of Mike Oghiadomhe, a former deputy governor, is a slight on his person and office as a sitting Deputy Governor, even as he insisted that the said meeting is null and void and of no effect.
Shaibu, a frontline Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant in the forthcoming 2024 governorship election, who hails from the Edo North Senatorial Zone, made the declaration while addressing supporters in his country-home, Jattu, Etsako West Local Government, shortly after the Auchi Day Annual Celebration.
Reports emerged Monday that PDP leaders in Edo North met at the instance of Oghiadomhe, a former Deputy Governor, where they reportedly endorsed another governorship aspirant from outside the zone, Asue Ighodalo, for the party primary election scheduled for February 20 this year.
Reacting to the report, the Deputy Governor warned Oghiadomhe against provoking the will of the people, even as he called on his supporters and party faithful to remain calm and go about their campaigns as another meeting of PDP leaders in the zone will be called at the appropriate time.
According to him, “Information reaching me says that Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, an elder of our party, called a meeting of PDP leaders in the six local governments of Edo North in his country-home, Fugar, Etsako Central local government and pressurized them to endorse one of the aspirants for the forthcoming governorship primary election in the state.”
“To me, that meeting was not held, because by virtue of my office as Deputy Governor, I remain the leader of the PDP in Edo North and Deputy Leader of the party in the state. Any meeting held in the Senatorial Zone without my knowledge is deemed null and void.”
“I respect Chief Mike Oghiadomhe as my elder and as my predecessor in office. Any meeting held in Edo North without my knowledge or input remains null and void.”
“Chief Oghiadomhe could not allow such a thing to happen when he was in office as Deputy Governor and as a leader of Edo North. PDP is a party of structure and of hierarchy well defined in its Constitution. I plead with all of you to remain calm and not be provoked by this action because after the primaries, we need to come together as members of the PDP, so, we will need everybody to win the main election in September.
“Chief Oghiadomhe is trying to provoke us but we will remain calm because this project is not about Philip Shaibu, it is God’s own project. You all saw what happened at the Otaru’s palace today. It was very clear that God has a hand in this project.”
