Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu yesterday stormed the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), requesting the party leadership to give him the certificate of return for the governorship primary election which he claims he won.
The PDP national leadership which organised the primaries which produced Asue Ighodalo as candidate of the party, presented the certificate of return to him on Tuesday.
But Shaibu, insisting he won a parallel primary election, came to the party’s secretariat yesterday seeking the party’s certificate.
Recall that Shaibu was declared winner of a parallel PDP governorship candidate for the state while Asue Ighodalo won the primary election organised by the national leadership of the party as stipulated by its Constitution.
However, Shaibu at the party secretariat said, “Today is the day set aside for the collection of certificate of return for the winner of the primary. I understand someone came yesterday and was given, well, the court will decide…”
He also claimed that Asue does not understand the grassroots unlike him.
“The option is for the PDP not to go and argue against my candidacy, if they do that PDP will lose Edo State. Edo people do not want Asue Ighodalo to be the governor of Edo State because he is not a homeboy they know,” Shaibu said.
“They are looking for someone that they know, somebody they can feel, somebody they can touch. PDP has a date with history, delegates have spoken that they want Shuaibu and I can bet you that the other eight aspirants will support Shuaibu if they party back him.
“If the party decides to join us in court to argue for Ighodalo then PDP then winning Edo State for PDP will be shaky because Asue will not be accepted by the people”.