He went on to say that a candidate who needed an interpreter did not qualify as a homeboy since he couldn't speak the Edo dialect.
Philip Shaibu, a former deputy governor of Edo State, has urged the residents of the state not to vote for a candidate that can’t speak their indigenous language.
The impeached deputy governor made this call on Monday in Irrua, the administrative headquarters of the state's Esan Central Local Government Area, saying that he would only back a "homeboy" for governor.
He went on to say that a candidate who needed an interpreter did not qualify as a homeboy since he couldn't speak the Edo dialect.
He stated, “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.”
Although Shaibu did not name the candidate, the PDP's governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, had previously faced criticism for hiring an interpreter to announce his intentions to his kinsmen at a ward in Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area of the state.
IIghodalo was captured on film meeting with his kinsmen. In the video, Ighodalo, who was running for the PDP ticket at the time, addressed the crowd in English and asked for their support, as an interpreter translated his words into Esan.
Also speaking, the party’s National Vice Chairman, South-South Zone, Dan Orbih, vowed not to campaign for the party if the crisis in the party is not solved.
Orbih said the re-election of Godwin Obaseki has only brought pain and anger to members of the party and the people of the state at large.
“In Edo State PDP, all is not well. Until I see concrete steps taken by the PDP government in the state to address all those issues that we have raised in the cause of our campaigns, until I see concrete steps to address the promises we made to the Edo people, I will not be able to face anybody to say, vote the PDP at the next election.
“If they can treat you the way they treated you, you can imagine what it will be if we allow them to continue. I can see pain and anger in the faces of our people and members. I can not pretend to say all is well and I have come out clearly to decline to serve in the Edo State PDP governorship Campaign Council. My decision is based on how I feel. Members of the PDP were badly treated after the re-election of Godwin Obaseki,” he stated.
Prior to the PDP governorship primary election, Obaseki and Shaibu, along with their supporters had been in disagreement over who would be the PDP’s candidate.
Ighodalo, however, emerged as the winner of the PDP primary election with Shaibu being impeached as the deputy governor of the state.
This, however, deepens the division within the state chapter of the party as opposition gathers within the party against Obaseki and the party’s candidate.