…….THE SITUATION REPORT On
Parallel Governorship Primaries.
Two candidates have emerged from the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party Governorship Primary Election conducted by different factions of the party on Thursday in Benin City, the state capital.
Earlier in the day, the incumbent Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu was declared winner in a parallel congress by polling over 300 votes.
Elsewhere, Asue Ighodalo, the aspirant backed by Governor Godwin Obaseki was declared the winner having scored 500+ votes.
Ighodalo is a lawyer and current chairman of Sterling Bank Plc. He also chairs Dangote Flour Mills PLC.
On the other hand,Shaibu, a core politician, once represented the Etsako Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives
Shaibu ,who preferred Comrade as prefix to his name fell apart from his principal recently over what current matters gathered was related to a matter of political succession.
The conundrum resulting from that reportedly instigated moves to impeach the deputy governor who quickly approached the court for a restraining order against the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Members and Governor Obaseki
However,a peace deal brokered by stakeholders of the state made Shaibu withdraw the lawsuit and tendered apology but the feud between the two men festered.
Obaseki sacked Shaibu’s press crew and banned him from Government House. The governor relocated Shaibu’s office from Government House to a remote area of the state capital under the guise of renovating the government house .
It was gathered that the governor also slashed his Deputy’s budgetary allocation.
