Residents of Edo State are being urged by former Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, not to support a governorship candidate who relies on interpreters to communicate with the people.
Shaibu emphasizes the importance of voting for a local candidate to become the next governor of the state.
During a gathering at Irrua, the administrative headquarters of the Esan Central Local Government Area, he expressed his views.
He strongly believes that a candidate needing an interpreter cannot be considered a local candidate as they are unable to speak the Edo dialect.
Shaibu reiterated, “Today, we have chosen a familiar face to become the next Edo State governor. It’s evident that someone born in Lagos but claiming Edo heritage isn’t a true local.”
He questioned, “Can we truly call someone with an interpreter a local candidate? If that’s a weakness, then we must seek out a true local candidate.”
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship contender, Asue Ighodalo, faced backlash for using an interpreter to communicate his intentions to his community in Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area.
While seeking support for the PDP governorship nomination, Ighodalo addressed the crowd in English, with an interpreter translating his message into the local Esan language.
Prior to the election campaign, Shaibu had a falling out with Governor Godwin Obaseki, which eventually led to his impeachment by the State House of Assembly.