Omobayo Godwin, the newly appointed Deputy Governor of Edo State, has shed light on his decision to switch allegiance from the Labour Party (LP) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing the latter’s promise of a brighter political future for him.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, the 37-year-old, who assumed office on Monday following the impeachment of Philip Shaibu as Edo’s deputy governor, revealed that he made the move to support the governorship aspiration of PDP flag bearer, Asue Ighodalo, for the upcoming September 21 Edo Governorship election.
Godwins clarified that his appointment as deputy governor, mere months before the conclusion of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s eight-year tenure, was part of the political strategy to bolster Ighodalo’s chances against his main contenders, including LP’s Olumide Akpata and Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Asserting his influence and grassroots support from Akoko Edo, one of the local governments in the Edo North Senatorial District, Godwins expressed confidence in strengthening Ighodalo’s candidacy, hailing from Ewohimi in the Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo Central Senatorial District.
Godwins lamented the transformation of the Labour Party since the 2023 polls, where he lost the bid for the Federal House of Representatives seat for the Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, citing internal conflicts and irreconcilable differences among party members as contributing factors to his departure.
Meanwhile, Philip Shaibu has denounced his impeachment by the state lawmakers, denouncing it as a threat to democracy. Shaibu, who served as Obaseki’s deputy from November 12, 2016, until April 8, 2024, was removed amidst a prolonged rift between the two former political allies.