Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP,) on Thursday, Feb. 22, held a parallel Congress that produced the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, as the winner of a factional PDP primary election.

While some delegates were being accredited to proceed to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium venue of the primary election, another set of delegates met in a facility in Commercial Avenue where they announced Shaibu as the elected candidate of the PDP.

Shaibu was declared the party’s candidate for the September 21, 2024, governorship election with 301 votes out of the total number of 559 votes cast at the primary.

The first set of delegates claimed that they went to the venue for accreditation but were chased away by security agencies. They also alleged that the list of delegates published by the national leadership of the party was not the authentic one, alleging that they saw names of people from Bayelsa state and names of people who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Declaring Shaibu winner of the election, Bartholomew Moses said “During the counting of this primary election, Philip Shaibu has a score of 301 votes and therefore, we hereby declare Philip Shaibu as the authentic elected candidate for this election in the PDP”

The exercise was barely over when gunmen alleged to be personnel of the Edo State Security Network, ESSN, invaded the venue. They were dressed in vigilante outfits and came in several vehicles including two black unmarked Toyota Hiace Truck, an unmarked white Sienna, a white Hilux and several other vehicles.

They were shooting sporadically into the air and the people scampered in different directions for safety.

Before the election, the delegates led by Festus Owu had protested at the deputy governor’s official lodge where they complained to him that they had been disenfranchised.

Speaking to the protesting delegates, Shaibu said “I appeal to all of you to be peaceful I don’t want anybody to be injured, I don’t want anybody molested and I am happy the way you have conducted yourselves peacefully and have come to report to me that you were not allowed to be accredited but I want to tell you that no one man can determine the destiny of a people and by the grace of God they cannot disenfranchise you people. The law is clear that you people are the authentic delegates. Now that they have pushed you away, they want to go and replace you but I assure you that your vote must count, they cannot change and replace your names. I assure you that I will take your protest to the committee that is coming but you must remain peaceful in everything you are doing.”

Speaking to journalists later, Shaibu said, “I saw the crowd outside and I asked who they are and they said they are delegates, I said they should be directed to the venue of the accreditation but they said they were protesting because they have been sent away from the venue of accreditation and they won their election and they have their results. The election will hold and if a winner emerges with fake delegates, the election will not see the light of the day but if a winner emerges with the authentic delegate, there will be no problem, I am sure.”