Philip Shaibu, Edo State Deputy Governor has emerged candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
BusinessDay reports that Shaibu was party’s candidate in a parallel primary held in a residence in Government Reservation Areas (GRA), Benin City.
Shaibu was declared winner of the primary by Moses Bartholomew with 301 votes out of the 594 votes cast in the primary.
It was learnt that officials of the Edo State Security Network, ESSN, however, stormed the venue shortly after the primary.
The personnel were said to blocked entrance to the venue thereby preventing delegates and journalists from leaving the premise.
The security personnel, who were fully armed, however,made some delegates and journalists tolaid down.
It was said, that it took the intervention of the deputy governor who confronted the security officials before the delegates and medium were allowed to leave the premises.
It was said, that it took the intervention of the deputy governor who confronted the security officials before the delegates and medium were allowed to leave the premises.
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It was gathered that the deputy governor told the security personnel that they should direct their actions to him and not the delegates.
Declaring Shaibu winner of the primary, Bartholomew Moses, the Returning Officer, said the deputy governor polled a total of 301 votes to emerge candidate.
Earlier before the parallel primary, some delegates protested that they were barred from participating in the process of accreditation and voting by some officials believed to be acting the script of the state government at the Edo Hotel, venue for the accreditation of delegates.
The spokesperson of the protesters, Festus Owu, however, appealed to Shaibu to help them pass their message to the National Headquarters of the PDP that their votes should be of consequence in determining who governs the state starting from November 12th.
They said that failure to make their votes count in the process may lead them to work against the party’s interest in September when the main election is taking place.
Responding to the protesters appeal, Shaibu assured them that their votes will count in the primaries and that they should exhibit no fear as their message will be passed to the appropriate quarters.
He informed them that their massive support is an indication that he will come out victorious after the primaries exercise and subsequently at the main election in September.
Meanwhile, the primary slated for Samuel Ogbemudia, the official venue of the exercise was yet to commence.
