- Shaibu disclosed that he was asked to be Obaseki’s deputy to add political credence to the party’s ticket because Obaseki was not a politician.
The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has he played crucial and enormous role in the actualisation of Godwin Obaseki ambition to govern the state.
Shaibu, who chided the Governor Obaseki for refusing to recognise him following his reinstatement to office by the court, boasted that he made him.
Shaibu made the disclosure when he appeared on Channels Television’s political programme, Politics Today, on Friday.
He disclosed that he was not receptive to the idea of Obaseki becoming a governor initially and it took months of persuasion and convincing by former governor Adams Oshiomhole to support Obaseki’s gubernatorial ambitions.
“Obaseki was not a politician, even financially, Obaseki was not financially strong to even contest the election. Oshiomhole brought him and when Oshiomhole brought him, some of us argued that he could not be him. It took Oshiomhole three months to convince me and some of our supporters to support Obaseki.
“And when we decided because of the respect for Oshiomhole to support him, he did not bring money – we brought our resources and our friends to bring money and we brought our political capital to make him governor. So, when you are talking about deputy governors and governors, he is not the one that made me, I made him,” Shaibu said.
The duo have been at daggers drawn over issues regarding the governorship election in the state.
Shaibu disclosed that he was asked to be Obaseki’s deputy to add political credence to the party’s ticket because Obaseki was not a politician.
He said his principal tried to stop him from running for the 2024 governorship election by stopping finances due to him as deputy governor, adding that he has not received any cheque from the government for the past year.