The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday mocked former Deputy Governor of Edo State Comrade Philip Shaibu for returning to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

PDP said he return to APC after failing in a plot to sabotage the will of the people of Edo State as embodied in the PDP candidacy of Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

The party said Shaibu has irredeemably sunk deeper into the abyss of rejection, adding that by confessing that his heart has always been with APC, Shaibu validated a “widespread opinion that he was not in the governorship race to serve the interest and wellbeing of the people of Edo State.”

National publicity secretary of PDP, Hon Debo Ologungaba, reacting to the former governor’s return to APC said, “Nigerians now know why Comrade Shaibu had no tangible campaign manifesto, programme or plan for Edo State but only engaged in actions and utterances aimed to derail the PDP governorship nomination processes and frustrate the Will of the majority of the people of Edo State.

“Our Party has only but pity for Comrade Shaibu for apparently being used and dumped and now on a journey to nowhere as he is currently facing a stiff rejection in the APC where he has been reportedly described as “a complete political liability and highly cancerous politician that must be avoided in order to prevent him from infesting our party (APC) with his ill-fated inordinate, desperate and obnoxious ambition”.

“APC stakeholders from his Etsako West Local Government Area, reportedly stated that “a close assessment of Philip Shaibu’s political participation would reveal him as a man that is politically rancorous and he derives joy in initiating, propagating and sustaining unending crisis in any association or political party he belongs”.

“They also described him as having no electoral value and insisted that his return to the APC is a calculated attempt by him “to bring rancor, disharmony and unprecedented crisis into the All Progressives Congress”.

“What a damning verdict from home! It is therefore not surprising that within 24 hours of Comrade Shaibu’s return to the APC, the PDP Governorship campaign has swelled as more citizens of Edo State, who do not want to be in the same political platform with Comrade Shaibu are now massively declaring support for the PDP and our candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

The PDP said it welcomes democratically-minded and well-meaning members of the APC and other political parties who in their droves are now pitching tents with the PDP and Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

“It is clear that Dr. Asue Ighodalo is the only candidate campaigning with well-thought-out and people-oriented programes and who has the capacity, competence, experience and public acceptability to drive the desire of the people of Edo State for sustained development on the platform of the PDP.”