Gov Obaseki Picks Running Mate For Edo Gov’ship Election

Governor Godwin Obaseki has picked his Deputy, Philip Shaibu as his running mate for the Edo Governorship election scheduled for September 19, 2020.

He confirmed this while receiving his certificate of return and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag at the National Headquarters of the party.

Obaseki who described his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate as a miracle, adding that “you don’t change a winning team”.

The Edo governor said: “My emergence as the governorship candidate of the PDP in the just concluded primary election is just the hand of God. It is miraculous. I and my deputy are grateful to this great party.

“In hours of tribulation in our political storm, PDP gave us a huge umbrella. This ought to be our first party because of the values of justice, fairness. We found out that transparency and quality of governance reign in this party.”

Obaseki thanked the National Organising Secretary, Austin Akobundu; National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan; and the National Legal Adviser for their prompt responses to issues regarding his waiver and eventual nomination.

Meanwhile, the former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Waziri Bulama, said the party did all it could to keep Governor Obaseki from defecting to the PDP.

In an interview with Daily Trust, Bulama, who was the deputy director-general (coordination) of the presidential campaign of the party in 2019, said the APC explored various options to keep Obaseki.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC Governors Forum tried talking to the Edo state governor but all moves failed.

Bulama said: “President Buhari talked to Obaseki; he appealed to all the stakeholders and the APC Governors Forum sent a delegation led by Ganduje.

“The party set up a committee led by the senate president; Obaseki said he did not want, claiming he was biased.  

“They sent another team. Look, all these options and others were explored but unfortunately, all these did not work and it led to a point, regrettably, where Obaseki left the party.”