Edo: Shaibu Reveals Plan If PDP Fails To Give Him Certificate Of Return

A new controversy has hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the aftermath of the Edo State governorship primaries.

The heart of the dispute lies in Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu’s claim that he emerged victorious in a parallel primary, leading him to demand a certificate of return from the party’s National Secretariat.

Shaibu’s bold move to storm the PDP’s National Secretariat in pursuit of his claim adds a fresh layer of tension within the party.

This comes just a day after the party’s Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, and the party leadership officially recognized Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the winner of the primaries, granting him the certificate of return.

The Deputy Governor’s insistence on being the rightful winner brings to the fore the internal conflicts that can arise from parallel primaries within political parties.

Accompanied by a few of his aides, Shaibu’s visit to the secretariat ended without an encounter with any members of the National Working Committee (NWC), highlighting the complexities surrounding the issue.

Addressing the press after his attempt to engage with the PDP’s acting national chairman, Shaibu made it clear that he expects the party to adhere to its rules or face potential legal action.

Shaibu said, “Today is 28th of February, 2024. By the PDP guidelines approved by the NWC on the Edo 2024 governorship primary, today is the day set aside by the electoral guidelines that the certificate of returns will be issued.

“I am here to receive my certificate of return because I won the primary in Edo where the authentic delegates voted. If you look at the board of the party office here, you will see the names of all the delegates that voted for me.

“Today is the presentation of Certificate of Return according to the party, so PDP must follow its rules and guidelines. This is what we are talking about.

“The process of producing a candidate has been compromised from the onset and we ask that those things be corrected. Even the committee that recommended the political solution is fully aware that there were abnormalities in the process that led to my emergence and whoever.

“But why I am here is to obey the guidelines to come and receive the certificate of return and I was told that somebody else came here yesterday and was given the certificate.

“I think the court will tell us who between us is the real candidate, but I am here in fulfillment of the electoral guidelines of the PDP to receive my certificate… I told them that I was coming, but none of them had come to work, only the staff of the secretariat are here. I don’t know why they are not here. That is strange and that is in line with why they were in a hurry to give the certificate of return yesterday (Tuesday).”

Asked whether he was ready to give peace a chance following calls by both the party leadership and its recognized candidate, Ighodalo, for a truce, Shaibu expressed doubt over the sincerity of Governor Godwin Obaseki and his team.

He said, “Maybe the acting chairman may be very honourable and mean what he is saying but the others talking about reconciliation don’t really mean what they are saying.

“They are intimidating us, and harassing us. As I speak, they are even threatening to impeach me and that is their way of dealing with people. They suspend, sack people, make phone calls intimidating people telling people, they will come after you.

“During the military, these were the kind of threats that we were getting and we cannot return to the era of intimidation and harassment, and that is the issue in Edo State.”

Asked if he was considering seeking legal redress, Shaibu said, “When the party’s internal mechanism is followed and it is obvious that the party is not ready to listen, the next line of action obviously will be the judiciary, but I pray we don’t get there and that is why I came here today.

“I’m sure in the coming days, the acting National Chairman and others will adhere to what brought me here today and when they do so, there will not be a need to go to court.”