Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo State, is expected to enter the race and contest for governorship elections in 2024 as pressure on him to do so grow.
Considering that Shaibu has supporters from all the state’s political parties, a source close to him claimed that the deputy governor’s ambition has now become like a movement beyond his control.
He stated that preparations are in full swing and that he would announce his ambition once everything was in place.
He asserted, “Even if Comrade Shaibu wanted to bury his ambition based on the position of his boss, it was too late because so many people and groups both inside and outside the country had keyed into it.
“Even if he had intended to give up on trying to resolve the issues, there are groups and individuals who have been consulting and mobilizing independently for him even before his altercation with his boss, so we would not have approved of that.
On Thursday night, a supporter of Shaibu confided in LEADERSHIP, saying, “We think Shaibu is the most experienced among those vying to succeed Obaseki. He is the best candidate so far because he has street credibility, he acts as a link between the old and the young, and he was an insider during Obaseki’s reforms.
In factions of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Labor Party (LP), he claimed, the deputy governor has supporters who are prominent members.