Former leaders and stakeholders of the Association of Former National Association Nigerian Students (NANS) have purchased the expression of interest form for one of their former leaders, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu. The purchase of the form took place at an event held at the Wadata Plaza, National Headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja on Thursday, 11th January 2024.
Patrick Afubere, Godwin Maliga, and others who led the group stated that Shaibu’s track record as the Deputy Governor of Edo State for the past seven years motivated them to contribute their modest amount to support his aspiration to contest the PDP gubernatorial primaries in Edo State.
The group emphasized that Shaibu’s leadership qualities make him the ideal candidate for the forthcoming governorship elections and expressed their belief that Edo State would benefit greatly from his leadership. They praised Shaibu as the most active and best-performing Deputy Governor in Nigeria, giving him an 80% chance of securing the PDP gubernatorial ticket in the party’s February primaries.
According to deputy governor’s media man, the group further highlighted the fact that since the return to democracy in Edo State in 1999, the PDP has never given its governorship ticket to any Edo North aspirant and emphasized the importance of giving the ticket to Shaibu, as they believe he has the strongest chance of winning the upcoming governorship election in the state.
Philip Shaibu, a former NANS President, a former legislator at the Edo State House of Assembly, and a former member of the House of Representatives, aims to become the governor of Edo State in November 2024. However, he has faced opposition from his current principal, who has endorsed Mr. Asue Ighodalo as his preferred candidate for governor.