The war of wits between the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu for the soul of the state is fast becoming larger than life.
Shaibu on Wednesday accused the governor, Obaseki of betraying him by opposing his ambition to succeed him as the next governor of the state.
The deputy governor who spoke on on a national tv program early morning show, stated that Obaseki wants to play the role of a political godfather in the state, a situation they both fought and agreed should never be.
Shaibu, categorically denied any formal discussions within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) regarding a successor to Obaseki, whose term ends in 2024.
He emphasized that their shared focus remains on serving the people and dismantling the influence of “godfathers” in Edo politics.
“Anyone who said I betrayed him is not correct,” Shaibu asserted. “We all agree as a group to fight godfathers – even the Governor pledged to fight godfatherism in the state.”
This statement directly challenges recent murmurs of friction between Shaibu and Obaseki, fueled by rumors that Obaseki might not openly support Shaibu’s potential gubernatorial ambitions.
Shaibu’s interview appears to aim at dispelling these rumors and presenting a united front within the PDP on the issue of godfatherism.
However, Shaibu also used the platform to address potential criticisms around his own ambitions, stating, “It is not an Edo central or Edo north thing”, addressing concerns within the party about regional representation in the future elections, as both Shaibu and Obaseki hail from Edo central.
Furthermore, Shaibu took a swipe at his potential detractors, saying, “It is people who lack the charisma to sell themselves who are complaining.”
With tensions simmering on the issue of godfatherism and political ambitions within the PDP, the coming months promise to be filled with intriguing developments as political alignments and strategies unfold.