A post on Vanguard’s official website reads that according to his Monday statement, there is no plot to remove the governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, from office.
The governor did point out that Shaibu’s action to seek a court injunction to stop his alleged impeachment was preventative in light of his impending switch to the All Progressives Congress (APC), though.
Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo State, was warned against escalating the state’s issue by leaders of the Edo North Senatorial District, the senatorial district in which he serves.
“The deputy governor has been actively negotiating his way into the APC with senior actors at the national and state levels.” said the governor, while he was briefing journalists in Benin City during a visit by the leaders of Edo North. He also said that he is about to finalize his defection to the APC.
“Let me state for the record that I am not aware of any conspiracy or strategy to impeach Comrade Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor,” he added. “Additionally, I looked, and there was no such plan.
“Therefore, I am shocked and disappointed by the court’s decision. I’m attempting to think back on a decision taken by a deputy governor to whom I gave considerable latitude. It is astonishing that he would act in this way.
“It’s evident what has happened over the past few weeks,” he said. “He’s trying to finish what he started as a preventative measure. Those of you from Akoko-Edo will recall that there was strong opposition from you to the candidates Owan wanted to impose on you when we were debating the subject of your local government chairman and that of Owan.
“I considered the advice you gave to be reasonable after listening to your pleas. How is he endorsing a local government official’s kid who is the son of an APC leader? I understood your hesitation and granted your request after you resisted.
“The following day, I noticed on social media that he was in Abuja robbing minds with the opposing party. Because he was unsure that you, the PDP leaders, would offer him the ticket to serve as governor in 2024, he reportedly held private consultations with allies from another party.
“I must state that Philip Shaibu has never shown me the courtesy of discussing his aspirations with me,” the governor continued.
“I did remark that we should be patient and that our duty is to try and finish well and accomplish all our projects we started when we last discussed about my successor following the House of Assembly election. The people’s support for my successor won’t come until we handle this properly.
“In my opinion, he is taking this action in an effort to avoid getting caught, keeping his ticket, and attending another party.
“For our party, I consider it unjust. Such a crisis is not what we need. I’ve been receiving phone calls from all around the world, and it’s quite sad that a member of an administration would harm the government for his own personal gain.
“I’m not angry, but I should be dissatisfied,” he further stated. “What is happening makes sense to me. For your comradeship, I am grateful. Instead of becoming sidetracked, we ought to strengthen, unify, and rally the entire party.
“I kindly ask you to join me as we launch our local government campaigns tomorrow. By working together, we can create a PDP that will continue to rule Edo State politics. We must win in order for our supporters to continue to give us their support.
“Given that no one man can outweigh us all, Edo will continue to be great thanks to our collaborative efforts.” He concluded.
Alhaji Kabiru Ajoto, who is the group’s leader and a former speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), stated, “We are here to amplify the voice of the majority of the people from the six local government areas in Edo North, as we have all taken our position to stand with the Governor of Edo State in the ongoing crisis, which is really uncalled for.
“The residents of Edo North have been gathering over the past week to discuss what to do regarding the conflict between Governor Obaseki and Shaibu.
“What is occurring right now is truly awful. To make peace with his boss, we dispatched a strong delegation to the deputy governor.
“We were shocked when he rejected our offer. Taking the governor to court is most unfortunate, and we can’t keep quiet, so we must speak out over the development.
“We tried to reach out to him, but he rejected our offer of peace. Because of a personal desire to lead Edo State as governor, the Deputy Governor chose against cooperating closely with Mr. Governor.”
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