Regardless of the political dispute between them during the 2020 governorship election in the state, Philip Shaibu, on Tuesday, described Adams Oshiomhole as his father.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV, Shaibu promised to find time to apologise to the ex-governor over certain inappropriate words he used against him in the last governorship election in the state.
Shaibu said his rift with Governor Godwin Obaseki started when he congratulated Oshiomhole on his 2023 senatorial election victory.
The Edo State Deputy Governor is from Edo North Senatorial District, the same district as Oshiomhole, who is the current lawmaker representing the district in the 10th National Assembly.
Shaibu, during the interview, said despite not being in the same political party as Oshiomhole, they now share a cordial relationship, saying he regretted some words he used against the senator in the last poll.
He said, “My relationship with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is cordial. When I mean cordial, he is still my father. Political, we are in different political parties.
“I am happy that the governor (Obaseki) has started inviting the former governor (Oshiomhole) and my father to political functions. That is what I have been praying for.
“And now that he has started, I think that the next step is for me to reach him and also first apologise to him (Oshiomhole) for some use of words during the election but in terms of principle of supporting Obaseki, I will still support Obaseki because God told me that is the right thing to do.
“One of the crises that I had was when I went to the Senate to congratulate Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and I was seen in a viral video. That was where my headache started because the governor’s style is that a friend of the governor, you must be friend to him and an enemy to the governor, you must be enemy to him. I understand that principle and I am being careful.
“What I was waiting for was for the governor to make that move because I will not make that move if the governor had not made the move. Now that he has made the move to be inviting Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, I am emboldened to go and see him.”
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