Omobayo Godwins, the newly appointed Deputy Governor of Edo State, revealed that he switched allegiance from the Labour Party, LP to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP due to the latter’s promising political future for him.
The 37-year-old, who assumed office on Monday following the impeachment of Philip Shaibu as Edo deputy governor by the state assembly, made these remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today program.
Godwins explained that his decision to leave the Labour Party was motivated by his desire to support the gubernatorial ambition of Asue Ighodalo, the PDP’s flag bearer for the upcoming September 21 Edo Governorship election.
The new deputy governor was unambiguous that his becoming deputy governor, months to the expiration of the eight-year tenure of Governor Godwin Obaseki, was part of the political permutations for Ighodalo to defeat his closest contenders like LP’s Olumide Akpata and Monday Okpebholo of the APC.
Godwins boasted that he has grassroots support from his base in Akoko Edo, one of the local governments in the Edo North Senatorial District to boost the chances of Ighodalo, who hails from Ewohimi in the Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo Central Senatorial District.
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Godwins said the Labour Party has changed entirely from what it used to be during the 2023 polls when he lost the poll for the Federal House of Representatives seat for the Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency. He cited irreconcilable differences and squabbles among the party’s members as some of his reasons.
Meanwhile, Shaibu has rejected his impeachment by the lawmakers, saying it was a threat to democracy.
Shaibu was Obaseki’s deputy from November 12, 2016, till April 8, 2024, when he was unceremoniously removed following a protracted rift between the two former political allies.
