A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Edo North, Chief Moses Aimiomode has accused opposition elements in the state of stoking the feud between the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, in a bid to further diminish the fortunes of the party in the Northern Senatorial District.
Aimiomode noted that the crisis is the result of those who believe the deputy governor is to blame for the fact that they have not benefited from the government they worked to enthrone, while lamenting that the conflict appears to be escalating into a full-blown crisis and casting a shadow over the political landscape of the state.
Last Friday, the governor accused his deputy of trying to stage a coup against him after the deputy obtained an interlocutory injunction barring the governor, the House of Assembly, security agencies and others from starting impeachment proceedings against him. This heightened the crisis between the two leaders.
The deputy governor was also held accountable by the governor, some of his followers, for the recent PDP turmoil and failure in the state.
The deputy governor, according to Chief Aimiomode, was not to blame for the PDP’s failure to win House of Assembly seats in Edo North; rather, he blamed the absence of the legacy group—including Dan Orbih, Pascal Ogbomeh, and others—as well as the influence of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who he claimed is well-liked by his supporters and even in Obaseki’s Edo South.
The Chieftain pointed out that these factors, along with the fact that some of the individuals igniting the current crisis were among those who worked against the party in the previous election but have now chosen to use the deputy governor as a scapegoat, were to blame for the loss of seats in the House of Assembly election.
“Governor, even those you are appointing as Commissioners today joined in voting against our party and destroying the chances of success,” he said. “But today you are empowering them within Edo North as opposed to those who stood firm for the party alongside your deputy.”
The PDP leader stated that the deputy governor’s absence from PDP business in Edo North will have a detrimental impact on the party even more, particularly as the state gears up for a significant election in 2024.
He asserts that the deputy governor is currently the only representative of the PDP in Edo North, and that his exclusion would benefit the APC, which already commands a sizable following there. According to Vanguard.
“Governor Obaseki ought to be aware by this point that his deputy governor benefits both the party and him. He is not the type of general who stays at home and orders his troops to fight. He is a leader who guides his troops to the field of combat while remaining in the foreground. There are methods to deftly hinder his attempts without making him look foolish, even if you don’t want him to succeed you in government, as most Southern governors do.
Khadybby (
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