Edo State deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, on Sunday in Benin took stock of his association with the former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and declared that he was severely brutalized in his quest to rid the state of godfatherism.

Shaibu who has since fallen out with his Oshiomhole said that his major priority was to ensure that Godwin Obaseki had a successful completion of tenure in office as governor of the state.

The deputy governor who spoke at a reception for the 18 outgone local government chairmen held in Benin City justified his loyalty to Governor Obaseki with whom he contested the last October governorship polls on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He said: “For me, people say I am loyal to Obaseki, I am loyal to a cause, I was brutalised and injured and had my kneels and everything replaced under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s administration, all this was that some godfathers wanted to detail our making poverty history and we fought on the side of the people and the beneficiary of that struggle was Oshiomhole.

“So the player doesn’t matter but what is constant is that whoever stands on not making poverty history in Edo will have all of us to fight and I will be in the forefront of that fight,” the deputy governor said.

Shaibu, while commending the outgone chairmen for their successful tenure in office, said they were among those who want to make poverty a history in the state, stressing that they were not like some others who for one reason or the other chickened out.

He continued: “We started the revolution of ending godfatherism in Edo under Oshiomhole and we all supported him because we all believe that enough is enough and that Edo will not be placed in the hands of individual that will now mortgage our collective heritage and wealth and would be flying jets and celebrating forever.

“We said there must be a change and godfathers must be brought to their knees while the people must decide who lead them and leaders accountable to the people and not few godfathers.

“That was the project we started and people betray that cause but today God has said that Edo must live up to his name and that the development of the state cannot be put in reverse gear but forward ever.

“Some of the outgone chairmen betrayed the cause and their people and decided to join the godfathers. You were offered jeeps and millions but you refused to join them.”

He added: “The lesson from this is that let us believe in ourselves and the collective thing that binds us in government which is the development and making sure that prosperity is distributed and the only way that can be done is when we do the right things and put the right things in right places so that the journey we started with Oshiomhole making poverty history can actually get to that destination.

“Along the line people that don’t believe in it fall on the road just like the way Oshiomhole fell on the roadside because he didn’t actually believe that we should make poverty history in Edo he was only an opportunist in front that we thought he believe in it.

“Even the commissioners, SSA and local government chairmen that resigned from our cabinet didn’t believe in making poverty history in Edo because if they believe in it the fight was needless.

“The fight was between those who believe in making poverty in Edo history and those who didn’t believe in it.”

He pleaded with the people to believe in Governor Obaseki who he remarked has succeeded in bringing a complete departure from thuggery in Edo politics to a new political system where individuals meet, plan and strategise for the benefit of the people. (Nigerian Tribune)

Update news