Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo State, is scheduled to formally announce his candidacies for governor.
His campaign group published a letter announcing the event that was personally signed by Shaibu.
The letter, headed “Special Invitation,” extends an invitation to the declaration event, which is set to take place at 8 a.m. on Monday, November 27, at Eterno Hotels.
In the letter, Shaibu declares his desire to lead Edo State as its governor.
There are reports that Shaibu and Governor Godwin Obaseki are at odds over Shaibu’s desire to become governor.
Shaibu filed a lawsuit in an Abuja High Court to stop his impeachment as a result of the mounting tension, but he later withdrew it in response to interventions.
Despite these conflicts, Shaibu continues his political activities. He is currently operating from an office outside the Government House and has been actively consulting with politicians and media regarding his governorship aspirations.
A close aide to Shaibu told Punch that “If everything works according to his (Shaibu’s) plans, he will officially declare his intention next week.
“He has already secured a campaign office along Airport Road, some of the campaign vehicles have started arriving and the consultations have reached an advanced stage.”
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Shaibu said he wanted to succeed Obaseki because “Edo people are in dire need of practical governance and we cannot afford to experiment again with someone who does not understand the politics and needs of Edo State.
“Everywhere, including the international scene, people are clamouring that governments should not be pushing projects that are not needed. So, we need to do needs assessment. You cannot know the needs of the people when you don’t live with them.
“For me, competence and experience should be the watchword. Who is competent, more experienced and who will hit the ground running from day one if he becomes governor
“Are we going to experiment with a new person again and the person will spend the first four years learning on the job and the next four years trying to embezzle and set up businesses in the name of consolidating on his first term?”
