All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Edo State,  Anslem Ojezua, and Secretary, Chief Osaro Idah, led party faithful  to celebrate the birthday of the deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, in Benin-City Thursday.

Overjoyed Shaibu, who expressed gratitude to his friends and APC members who put the birthday party together, assured that the Godwin Obaseki  administration will not disappoint the people of  Edo, adding: “By the time we are done, Edo will be  on auto pilot”.

Other leaders of the party at the event included  the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Taiwo Akerele, Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly, Foly Ogedengbe, ambassador designate and former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Uyi Igbe, the Chairman of Edo State Revenue Board, Chief Oseni Elamah, business mogul, Theo Okoh, immediate past Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua and many members of the state House of Assembly.

Ojezua, who described Shaibu as a true son of the political empire of the immediate past governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said God decided to elevate him to his current position due to his unalloyed loyalty to the APC.

“Philip is a young man who has exhibited loyalty no matter the temptation he faced. He has risked his life and that of his family for the party and that is why today he is worth celebrating. We had no doubt when the leadership of our party decided that you will become Obaseki’s running mate that you will be a good and very supportive deputy governor.”the party Chairman said.

“We thank God for your life and proud to have a youth like you as our deputy governor. May God bless you with many more years ahead”. Chief Elamah, who represented Oba Ewuare at the occasion, described Shaibu as “a good son of the palace of Oba Ewuare 11, the Ogidigan”. He went on: “The celebrant is a direct son of Oba Ewuare 11. What we are witnessing today is God’s doing and we are happy. I want us to do all that is within our capacity, both in prayers to support Philip.

“I have the permission of his royal majesty to declare that Shaibu is the royal son of  Oba Ewuare 11. He is covered by the ancestors and anyone who plots evil against him will meet the wrath of our ancestors. For those of us that have come to rejoice with our brother, his success is our collective success. When he celebrates, we are all celebrating”.

In his response, the deputy governor  said, “ I am deeply humbled and I want to reassure  that, by the grace of God, we will not disappoint you all. And I know for sure that Edo people will not take anything less from where the state is today. Anything less than what the state is today is a failure because the Comrade Governor, when he was campaigning with us, said Obaseki will do better than him.

“By the time we are done with Edo State, whether or not there is a leadership, the state will be running  on auto pilot, that is our dream. I know there are great of expectations, for we the young ones, the youths are adequately covered in this government.   As we speak, we have started recruiting youths and I can tell you that in the next three months, thousands of youths will be employed. Before the end of the first hundred days, thousands of jobs will be created; so the promise made by my boss, Obaseki, to create 200,000 is not just politics but reality”.

Simon Ebegbulem