By Justin Erhabor
That Comrade Philip Shaibu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, is interested in succeeding the incumbent, Godwin Obaseki come Tuesday, November 12, 2024, is no more news.
That he has the blessing of the majority of Edolites and indeed Nigerians in this project is what some elements cannot fathom considering that the Uzairue, Etsako West Local Government Area born politician is trudging on despite all the man made odds placed in his path by these political traders.
What may escape these political traders and their hangers on or what they may be pretending not to know about him is that he has paid his dues over the years fighting for the people of Edo State to have the good life.
These food is ready politicians will never be interested in giving credit to whom it is due because by doing that their shallowness is exposed and they’re identified for whom they are, political jobbers.
The political jobbers will never talk about Comrade Shaibu’s near death experience when gun wielding hoodlums that they sponsored in the wee hours of the morning stormed the House of Assembly Quarters residence of the then member of the State House of Assembly in a kamikaze style shooting sporadically at him, his wife, children(toddlers) and house helps with the sole mission of killing anything in sight.
It was only by God’s intervention that he escaped, carrying his family members across the high fence of the even as blood was gushing out of different parts of his body. While answering reporters inquiries on what transpired Shaibu was noticeably stuttering as he related his near death experience.
Before then he had suffered a vicious attack in the Chambers of the House of Assembly which cost him his knee cap. His offense been that he insisted that the lawmakers of which he was one should rather focus on delivering the dividends of democracy to their consistuents instead of engaging in unwarranted fighting and jostling for power.
For decades, the state darling football team, the Bendel Insurance was in a comatose situation. The team which was among the elite soccer outfits in Nigeria in the days of yore suddenly went down from its Olympian heights to the lowest level. At a stage, the best that was heard about the clubside is its perennial change of name and even ownership.
With assumption of office as the Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu took it upon himself to ensure that the sports loving people of the acclaimed heartbeat state get the best of their team. Not minding that he has injury problem and at his age(above 45 years) he is past his very active years in participating in sports coupled with his status as the number two citizen of the state with loads of assignments to attend to decided to register as a player with the Bendel Insurance.
Throughout this period, he never missed participating in training sessions just like the other members of the team. His action was the inspiration that the young lads in the team needed to put in their utmost in ensuring that the team for the first time after several decades of being in the doldrum emerge as the most improved team in the Nigeria Professional Football League.
