The newly appointed deputy governor of Edo State, Omobayo Godwins, has pledged to avoid power struggles with his state governor, Godwin Obaseki. During a recent interview on Channels Television's Politics Today Programme, the 38-year-old former Labour Party House of Representatives candidate stated that he would simply do whatever the governor asked him to do.
Godwins was sworn in after the state assembly sacked Philip Shaibu for allegedly divulging the state government's secrets. When asked about his satisfaction with the role of a deputy governor, which he described as a "spare tire," the new deputy governor stated that he was content with the position. He also emphasized that he was not in a hurry to engage in power struggles with his governor and would instead focus on his strengths to add value to the administration's agenda.
Godwins further revealed that he was contacted by the state's chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party to be the new deputy governor. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and pledged to be a role model for Edo youths. The deputy governor also stated that he has a strong grassroots following in Akoko Edo, one of the local governments in the Edo North Senatorial District, which will bolster the chances of Ighodalo, who hails from Ewohimi in the Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo Central Senatorial District.
Regarding the short-term tenure, Godwins stressed that he would focus on making a positive impact in his role as deputy governor, rather than the duration of his tenure. He also noted that his appointment, months before the end of Obaseki's eight-year tenure, was part of the political strategy to help Ighodalo defeat his closest contenders in the upcoming election.
Shaibu, the former deputy governor, has described his impeachment by the state House of Assembly as illegal. He attributed his impeachment to his ambition to become the state governor and characterized it as an attack on democracy and a show of dictatorship.