…Announces Shaibu as running mate
By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
Governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki has expressed profound gratitude to the National Working Committee of The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as PDP governors, saying that they revived his political career.
Obaseki also announced his deputy, Philip Shaibu as his running mate, just as he pledged his commitments to continue to promote the ideals of the party.
Obaseki made the disclosure on Saturday at the PDP National Headquarters in Abuja when he received his Certificate of Return from the party’s leadership.
Obaseki in the accompany of his deputy as well as Engr. Gideon Ikhine and Kenneth Imasuagbon, said that there was no reason for him to have gone to the All Progressives Congress as all his political aspirations were fully imbedded in the PDP ideals.
He said, “I want to commit to you that in line with the ideal and motto of this party, my deputy and I, who by the way, is going to be my running mate, for the September 19 election, because you do not change a winning team.
“I want to commit to you that we shall promote the ideals of this great party and you can always count on us. Whenever the National Working Committee calls on us, we will be there.
“We have no choice because from what I have seen from my brother governors in this party, what they have done and what they did for us in the party, revived my political career, I have never seen that level of commitment”.
Obaseki said that PDP was a party that promotes the ideals of democracy, disclosing that he has been assured by his teaming supporters that they will join him and ensure that his reelection project is actualised.
“I and my deputy are very grateful to this great party. Like I said, you will never know what God has destined for you. In our hours of tribulation, when we were pushed out in the rain and storm from our political party, you came out with that huge umbrella to give us cover and shelter. It was only when we entered the house that we then realises that this was the house we should have been in the first instance.
“Because we now saw that the values in the house are the values we cherish and the values we live for, values of justice, values of law and order, values of care for our people, putting the people first. These are the values we have always been in pursuit of, which we found in this new house in which we have been graciously accommodated.
“We want to tell you that we are very grateful and to assure you that the Edo people told us that ‘where every you go, we will go’. On further consultation they told us that there was a party where most of us came from, go and explore the possibility of us going back there. So by the grace of God, we have no doubt that victory is going to be ours on September 19.
Earlier, Governor Bala Mohammed, who Chaired the party’s Primary Election Committee presented the report of outcome of the election to the NWC.
Addressing the NWC, Mohammed said, “For the first time in Edo, we have a rancor free election where there was no mistrust no suspicion no infight. Everybody was in line and of course, even our elders were there, members of the Board of Trustees Elders of the party, the youth, the woman everybody applauded the election.
“I’m happy to report that all the governor’s that we went there really works tirelessly to make sure that all our differences and challenges were resolved.
‘We observed that at the end of the day we are ready and Edo is ready for capture. To be won by this very important party, the PDP. I’m very sure and confidently sure that Edo is going to fall in line within the realm of good governance of the PDP and I hereby submit the report with all the details and attachments”.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus told the governor that the party runs on principles that promotes the delivery of the dividend of democracy.
He said, “In PDP we are guided by rule of law, we are guided by our rules and we are guided by the peoples interest. We are driven by the fact that we must provide the best governance for our people.
“In PDP, the institution here has a system that is transparent, free and fair for all to see and you have witnessed it since the last few weeks”.
Present at the event were members of the National Working Committee, former National Chairman Okwesilieze Nwodo and friends of the governor.
