By Yusuf Olukokun
Due to the latest development in Edo state political leadership tussle, All Progressives Congress (APC) called for the suspension of Godwin Obaseki, maintaining that Philip Shuaibu shouldn’t resign from People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Philip Shuaibu, Edo state Deputy Governor, who lost in the primaries to Asue Ighodalo, PDP Gubernatorial candidate, has declared his support for APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
Reacting to this, Olu Martin, Deputy Directive in charge of Media for PDP called for the resignation of the Deputy Governor from the party.
Countering this, Edo state APC duly rejected the call for Shuaibu’s resignation from PDP, clarifying that the Godwin Obaseki should be suspended from PDP due to his political miscalculation and clear misuse of power.
In the statement released by Orobosa Omo-ojo, APC Publicity Secretary, on Tuesday in Benin, the state’s capital, he said: “The All Progressives Congress wishes to call on Nigerians and Edo people in particular, to ignore the irritating and baseless call on a former deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, to resign his membership of the drowning Peoples Democratic Party, because of his open declaration of support for Senator Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the APC.
“It is obvious that PDP is yet to understand the hurricane that has happened in their party. Virtually everyone with political relevance has left and those still in the party are only lying in wait as undertakers to bury the party.
“Rather than ask Shaibu to resign, the PDP should suspend their outgoing governor, Obaseki, for leading them to political obscurity in Edo State.
“Comrade Philip Shaibu is an Iroko, a true definition of homeboy and a political giant in the state, like the APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
“The APC wishes to give free advice to the dead PDP that it should concentrate its energy on how to tell Edo people what Asue Ighodalo and his running mate intend to bring on board after both have served the state for 28 years without any major development.
“The only sane thing left for the PDP is to join Obaseki and Ighodalo on a pleading tour of the state and beg for forgiveness, especially after last week’s confession by the state government that question papers for basic examination in the state was leaked to public schoolteachers in the state, which eventually ended up with maize sellers.
“We are by this statement demanding that Edo State Government should immediately set up an independent panel of inquiry to investigate the circumstances that led to the series of examination questions leakages that have trailed the so-called Edo Best education programme since 2020.”