By Johnson Eyiangho, Abuja

Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu has said the state has no agreement whatsoever on the rotation of the governorship seat among the three Senatorial Districts – South, Central and North, in the state, but welcome the idea if it is based on equity, justice, fairness and competence.

“I think we have a tradition in Edo State of not rotating the governorship, there is no where we had actually sat as a people, whether as a political party or as a traditional institution or pressure group or any group at all where we sat and said we want to rotate the governorship,” Shaibu said.

Speaking with political correspondents in Abuja over the weekend on his aspiration to contest for the number one seat in Edo in 2024, the deputy governor noted that less populated zones or districts in the state could only get the governor seat through rotation.

“But if you ask me, do I want us to rotate, am I an apostle of rotation? I will say yes, because in areas where population wise and other things they are not advantageous to get certain things, through rotation they can get.

“So, I believe in it, but I also believe in equity, justice and fairness, because in rotation there must be equity, justice and fairness. So, all I am saying is let us have equity, justice and fairness and nothing more. Also, we should not mortgage competence on the altar of rotation. Competence is also key and critical especially in this time where we are all struggling to survive in the country,” he said.

The deputy governor, who is hoping to realize his ambition on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), argued that it is the turn of Edo North District to produce the next governor of the state.

According to him, if we must go to the issue of rotation and whose turn it is, that is if we must use the word turn, it is the turn of Edo North to produce the Governor of Edo State.

“Why, PDP has never given tickets to anyone from Edo north since the inception of the party. So, if we decide to go by that, for equity, justice and fairness by the PDP, it is the turn of Edo north because PDP has given tickets to Edo South two times, Lucky Igbinedion, the present Governor.

“PDP has also given ticket to Edo Central once, Prof. Oserheime Osunbor, who was a former Governor of Edo State who earns pension as a former Governor and gazetted. And for you to have been governor of Edo state means that you earn all paraphernalia of office like pension, and others you are entitled, so if you check the array of former Governors of Edo State, Prof. Osunbor was a former Governor.

“If you want to check who has been Governor, Edo central has been governor twice, Edo north once, Edo south four times. In terms of population, Edo south, which has been governor four times, has the largest population, followed by Edo north.

“So if it is by population, Edo south has taken four times, Edo north is supposed to have taken at least two or three times, before you now come to two or one for central. So if you are to go by sharing, it has to be senior, junior first. Edo South has the population, the second son is Edo north and the last born is Edo central.”

On why he thinks he should be the next governor, Shaibu said he has the capacity, experience and, close to the people at the grassroots.

“So for me, for equity, justice and fairness and rotation favours Edo North. Also in terms of capacity, I have the capacity, I have the experience. I am the closest to the people among those that are contesting now and if you want to ask who is a home boy, they will tell you, Shaibu is a home boy. I am not a home boy in terms of politics, home boy in all ramifications.

“So, for me, PDP will win the 2024 Governorship election, if they have a home boy as their candidate. But if you have people that have to talk to their people in the rural areas through an interpreter, just forget about it, because Edo people have said they don’t want someone that will go to his village and go with an interpreter.

“It means he does not understand them, he does not know them. Also, let them tell us what they have done for their people,” he said.

On how to give a sense belonging to Edo Central District, Shaibu said the zone could produce the next governor if it presents competence and a generally accepted candidate.

He said, “The thing is that the Central District can be Governor if they have the candidate that has capacity, a candidate that is popularly accepted by the people. Because in all elections, all the senatorial zones contest for it.”

He said some people want to cash in on sentiments – ethnicity and religion, to divide the Edo people, noting that everyone from the state can trace their origin from Benin, the Edo South Senatorial District.

Shaibu said, “Some of these people are complex, I am not going to play ethnic politics, religious politics, because those things divide us, it does not unite us. What I would say is who has the capacity, who is more grounded in the activities of our state and can hit the ground running from day one.