Past NANS leaders believe Phillip Shaibu can deliver Edo for PDP

… purchase governorship form for Deputy Governor

By Tunde Opalana

Members of the Forum of Past NANS Leaders on Thursday stormed the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to purchase Expression of Interest for the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Phillip Shaibu to enable him context the party’s primary election ahead of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State.

The past student union leaders said they were inspired to pull resources together to buy form for Shaibu to invite him to contest because of the belief in his ability to help PDP retain power in Edo State.

Addressing the media immediately after picking the form, Mr Patrick Afubera on behalf of the Forum said the people of Edo State will be extremely blessed to have Shaibu as their next governor.

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Expressing confidence in his ability to contest and win the party’s ticket, he said “the truth is that I sound so confident because I know him. This is somebody we have worked closely with as NANS president in the year, 2000. We know what he stands for, the principles in believes in, that is why we are confident.

“For PDP as a party, the party on which Philip is contesting, we saw that he has a chance of emerging and he stands the brightest chance to emerge as the candidate of PDP and for PDP to win the governorship election if they give the ticket to Philip Shaibu of Edo north. It is about strength and capacity.”

Speaking on the antagonism against Shaibu’s aspiration by the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, the Forum believed it is inconsequential that Obaseki is not giving his deputy chance to contest, once the people of Edo State want Shaibu as their governor.

“On the issue of the governor’s support
No man is God. You are aware that sometimes in Edo State, they were the ones that raised the campaign of one man, one vote and so they decided to kill godfatherism.

“I think that it is the turn of the people to decide who will be the governor of Edo state. I am very confident that with what Philip Shaibu is made of, once he gets the ticket of PDP, the people will elect him as the governor of Edo state.”

Also speaking, another leader of the group Godwin Maliga said ” for us, we believe that the primary is for the party. If the primary is going to hold today, we are confident that the delegates, who are party members will definitely pick our candidate.

Speaking on the issue of zoning , Maliga said ” a lot of people are shouting zoning but you cannot go to equity without clean hands. What we are doing here today is for PDP. PDP has never given its governorship ticket to anybody from Edo north, go and check the history.

“If you go to the Central, they have had the ticket of the PDP over and over and in most cases they lost the election. If you look at the demography of Edo State, Central is the least they have only five local governments while South has six local governments and North has seven local governments.”