In a surprising turn of events ahead of the Edo State governorship election slated for September 21, Philip Shaibu, the state’s former deputy governor, has publicly withdrawn his support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
Instead, Shaibu has thrown his weight behind the opposition candidate, Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During an interview with Channels TV on the fringes of the 2024 Father’s Day celebration at Saint Paul’s Catholic Church in Benin City, Shaibu expressed his preference for what he termed a “homeboy.”
His endorsement of Okpebholo comes after his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly several months prior.
Shaibu criticized the PDP candidate, labeling him an outsider and contrasting him with two local contenders he initially supported: Monday Okpebholo (APC) and Olumide Akpata (Labour Party).
By backing Okpebholo, Shaibu aims to prevent what he perceives as a potential resurgence of godfatherism in Edo State politics—a scenario he believes would occur should Ighodalo emerge victorious.
He said, “Today, I came in as a homeboy. We have only two homeboys in the major political parties in Edo State. One is in Labour, and one is in APC, and I choose to follow another homeboy in the APC.
“The man they are parading in the PDP is an outsider, and we have also agreed that there is no more godfatherism in Edo.
“So, the man the PDP is trying to portray in Edo now is the godson of Obaseki, and there is no way a godson will now be governor of Edo.”
