TELL Magazine

The choice of 38-year-old Godwin Marvelous Omobayo as the new deputy governor of Edo State, came as a big surprise to the political class in the state. It indeed ruffled feathers amongst members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, who had expected one of their own to be named as a replacement for the impeached deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.

Apart from his youthful age, Omobayo was until his nomination, a member of the Labour Party, LP, who contested for the Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency seat on the platform of the party during the 2023 general elections. He was not known to have defected to another party since the election.

Investigation by TELL revealed that the choice of Omobayo from Akoko-Edo local government area in Edo North senatorial district was a strategic move and critical to winning the September 21, 2024, governorship election in the state.

The magazine gathered that the governor and his kitchen cabinet were confronted with two choices – Paschal Ugbome, 59, a lawyer, former chief whip, Edo State House of Assembly, and loyal party man from Fugar in Etsako Central local government area of the state; and Omobayo, an Electrical and Electronics Engineer, from Ibillo in Akoko-Edo local government area.

A source who should know confided in the magazine that “He was still in Labour when oga picked him. Now, he has left Labour. When Oga contemplated between him and Paschal, that was when he left Labour”.

On why Ugbome, a more seasoned politician who had been very loyal to the party, and had paid his dues, lost out, the unimpeachable source explained that “the governor was looking at winning the coming election; which of them will serve our strategic interest. Even if we picked three deputy governors from Etsako, (where Shaibu and Adams Oshiomhole hail from) can we win Etsako? We cannot. So, it will be better for us to consolidate in Akoko-Edo in Owan axis. That was what happened”.

The new deputy governor is also said to possess the financial muscle to assist the party in prosecuting the coming governorship election without relying so much on external funding. He was said to have been a major sponsor of the Labour Party in Edo North senatorial district which made the party very strong in the area.

Born July 19, 1986, Omobayo, is a player in the oil and gas sector. He is a registered member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, (NSE) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). A thorough-bred young professional, he served as a Senior Maintenance Engineer in Dresser Wayne West Africa Limited, cutting his professional teeth in the operations in the SouthSouth area, providing top-notch services and growing the business in the region.

He had also been active in politics in his local government, building bridges of trust with the people, and mobilising them for common causes, breaking political barriers to the chagrin of his opponents.