A former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, who is still smarting from his impeachment and removal from office, has said any governorship candidate who cannot speak nor understand his dialect cannot govern the state.
Shaibu, who spoke ahead of the Edo 2024 governorship election, added that he would only support a “homeboy” to become the governor.
He said any candidate who needed the help of an interpreter did not qualify as a homeboy because of his inability to speak the dialect of the Edo people.
Shaibu made this known while speaking during the Edo Central Senatorial District PDP leaders and stakeholders meeting held in Irrua, the administrative headquarters of Esan Central Local Government Area of the state on Monday.
“Today, we have decided that a homeboy that we know will become the governor of Edo State. You already know that Edo born in Lagos State is not a homeboy.
“Is somebody who comes here with an interpreter a homeboy? So, if that is a minus it means we will look for a homeboy,” Shaibu stated.
Although Shaibu didn’t mention the particular candidate he was referring to, it was apparent that he was throwing a jibe at the governorship candidate of the PDP, Asue Ighodalo.
Ighodalo had drawn flaks from stakeholders in the state after he hired an interpreter to announce his intention to his kinsmen at a ward in Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area of the state earlier.
Ighodalo was seen in a video when he met with his kinsmen during his campaign to secure the PDP ticket then, and he addressed the crowd in English Language to seek their support while an interpreter translated his words into the Esan dialect.