Immediate past Deputy Governor of Edo State, Phillip Shaibu, has voiced his sense of vindication following the Federal High Court’s ruling that nullified the recent governorship primary election in the state.
Responding to the judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo, Shaibu criticized the PDP’s primary held on February 22, 2024, describing it as a “tea party” without any legal legitimacy. He emphasized that he had consistently decried the PDP’s erosion of internal democracy, alleging that the primary was conducted in a fraudulent manner at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin.
Shaibu insisted that the delegates who voted for him in his parallel primary were the genuine representatives lawfully chosen by the people to nominate the PDP’s governorship candidate. He accused the PDP of excluding these legitimate delegates and failing to uphold democratic principles within the party.
Regarding rumors of his potential defection to the APC, Shaibu argued that inviting individuals to join a political party signifies a commitment to democratic processes, unlike the PDP’s approach, which he claimed involved expelling members and planning election rigging.
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He stated, “When you see a political party wooing people to its group, that party wants to win. But when you see a party chasing people away as in the case of the PDP, that party is planning nothing but rigging of elections.”
Justice Ekwo’s judgment specifically invalidated the PDP primary election on the grounds that 378 delegates, who were legally entitled to vote, were unlawfully excluded. This ruling underscores Shaibu’s persistent complaints about the lack of transparency and fairness in the PDP’s internal processes.
Further details about the court’s decision and Shaibu’s future political plans are anticipated as the situation develops.
