The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, won a factional primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Shaibu received 301 out of 559 votes to become the PDP candidate for the governorship election on September 21, 2024. The primary was overseen by Honourable Moses Bartholomew.
After the primary, Edo State Security Network (ESSN) personnel, armed and blocked the venue’s entrance, preventing delegates and journalists from leaving.
The Returning Officer, Bartholomew Moses, declared Shaibu the winner with 301 votes.
Before the parallel primary election, some delegates complained that they were not allowed to participate in the accreditation and voting process by certain officials suspected of following the orders of the state government. This incident took place at the Edo Hotel, where delegates were supposed to be accredited.
The spokesperson for the protesters, Festus Owu, asked Shaibu to help convey their message to the PDP National Headquarters. They wanted their votes to have an impact on deciding who would govern the state starting on November 12th.
If their votes were not considered, they threatened to go against the party’s interests in the main election in September.
In response to the protesters’ plea, Shaibu reassured them that their votes would be counted in the primaries. He told them not to worry and promised to pass on their message to the right people.
Shaibu also mentioned that their strong support indicated that he would win in the primaries and in the main election in September.
