The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have a tough time defending its choice of candidate for the upcoming Edo governorship election, as the deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, has vowed to challenge the party’s decision in court.
Shaibu, who claims he won the party’s primary election held on February 22, 2024, said he was surprised that the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) issued a certificate of return to Asue Ighodalo, a former chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), as the party’s flagbearer.
The deputy governor, who spoke to journalists on Wednesday after visiting the PDP national headquarters in Abuja, said he had evidence to prove that he was the rightful winner of the primary and that he would seek legal redress to reclaim his mandate.
“I am here today to collect my certificate of return as the PDP candidate for the Edo governorship election. I understand someone came yesterday and was given, well, the court will decide. I have the results from the wards and local governments, and I have the video clips of the voting process. I am not here to cause trouble, but to follow the due process and the rule of law,” he said.
Shaibu’s legal threat may pose a serious problem for the PDP, which is hoping to retain power in Edo state after Governor Godwin Obaseki defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP in 2020 and won a second term.
The PDP had conducted two parallel primaries in Edo state, following a leadership crisis that split the party into two factions. One faction, loyal to the state chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, held its primary at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and declared Ighodalo as the winner with 577 votes, while the other faction, loyal to the deputy chairman, Harrison Omagbon, held its primary at the party secretariat and announced Shaibu as the winner with 301 votes.
The PDP NWC, led by the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, had endorsed the primary conducted by the Aziegbemi-led faction and presented a certificate of return to Ighodalo on Tuesday, describing him as a credible and competent candidate who would continue the legacy of Obaseki.
However, Shaibu, who is also a loyalist of Obaseki, insisted that the primary conducted by the Omagbon-led faction was the authentic one and that the NWC had no right to impose a candidate on the party members in Edo state.
He accused Ighodalo of being a stooge of some external forces who wanted to hijack the party and derail the development agenda of the Obaseki administration.
He also alleged that Ighodalo was not a registered member of the PDP and that he did not meet the eligibility criteria to contest for the governorship ticket.
“Ighodalo is not a member of our party. He has never participated in any of our activities or programmes. He does not have a PDP membership card or registration number. He is being sponsored by some people who are not happy with the progress we have made in Edo state under Governor Obaseki. They want to take over the party and reverse the gains we have made. But we will not allow that to happen. We will resist them with all legal means,” he said.
Shaibu expressed confidence that he would get justice in court and urged his supporters to remain calm and peaceful.
He also appealed to the PDP national leadership to respect the wishes of the party members in Edo state and uphold the principles of internal democracy.
He said he was still committed to the PDP and that he would work with the party to ensure victory in the governorship election.
The Edo governorship election is scheduled to take place on September 21, 2024. The APC has already picked Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a former secretary to the state government, as its candidate.
The election is expected to be a keen contest between the two major parties, as both candidates have strong support bases and political structures in the state.
Source: Punch
