Shaibu: Edo can’t afford a leader who doesn’t understand the people’s needs

Philip Shaibu, Edo deputy governor, says what the state needs is practical and not experimental governance. 

Speaking with journalists on Sunday in Abuja, Shaibu said the state cannot afford to experiment with someone who does not understand the needs of the people.

“With the 2024 Edo governorship election fast approaching, the state cannot afford to experiment again with someone who does not understand the politics of the state or the needs of the people,” Shaibu said.

“Edo people need practical governance and you cannot experiment again with somebody that do not understand the politics of a good state and the needs of the people.”

According to the deputy governor, citizens are asking the government to stop pushing for projects that are not needed in any environment.

“So, everything we have to do should be assessed,” he said.

“You cannot know the need of the people when you don’t live with them.  So for me, competence and experience should be the watchword as we go into election in 2024.

“Who is competent? Who is more experienced? Who will hit the ground running from day one?

“Are we going to experiment with a new person again? And the person will spend the first four years learning on the job and he will spend another four years trying to embezzle, set up his businesses in the name of consolidating on the gains of the first term.

“Or we need a governor that from the day one will hit the ground running?”

Shaibu said for any government to succeed, there must be collaboration between the state and the federal government.

“From my own experience, I have seen that for me to succeed as a governor, there must be collaboration,” he added.

“I understand the debt profile of the state and where I feel I can get funding to put up structure in the state. So, I won’t be coming to learn on the job, but to hit the ground running.”

Shaibu, who also spoke on rotational governorship among the three zones in the state, said while the other zones have had more than a turn at producing a governor, Edo north has had just one turn.

“Whereas other senatorial districts have had more than one turn in the governorship position in the state, Edo north had only one turn,” he said.

“We have had four governors from south, two from central and only one from north.

“Just like my ambition to be the deputy governor was not mine, but I made myself available, so also the ambition to be governor is still not mine. I’m only making myself available.”