Omobayo Godwins, the newly appointed Deputy Governor of Edo State, has switched allegiance from the Labour Party (LP) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Godwins’ decision is rooted in the PDP’s promise of a brighter political future.
At 37-year-old was sworn in on Monday after the state assembly impeached Philip Shaibu as Edo’s deputy governor.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, he clarified that his move to the PDP was driven by his support for the party’s governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, in the upcoming September 21 Edo Governorship election.
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Godwins strategically assumed the role of deputy governor just months before the eight-year tenure of Governor Godwin Obaseki expired.
The move was part of the political calculations aimed at securing victory for Ighodalo over his main rivals, Olumide Akpata of the LP and Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Asserting his grassroots influence, Godwins revealed his strong support from Akoko Edo, one of the local governments in the Edo North Senatorial District.
Ighodalo, hailing from Ewohimi in the Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo Central Senatorial District, stands to benefit from this backing.
Godwins also stressed the transformation of the Labour Party since the 2023 polls, where he narrowly missed winning the Federal House of Representatives seat for the Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency.
Irreconcilable differences and internal conflicts among party members contributed to his decision to switch parties.
Meanwhile, Philip Shaibu, who served as Obaseki’s deputy from November 12, 2016, until April 8, 2024, has vehemently rejected his impeachment by lawmakers, considering it a threat to democracy arising from a prolonged rift between the two former political allies.
