New facts have emerged on the political fight between Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and his deputy, Philip Shaibu.
Recall that it was reported in the media yesterday, Thursday, August 3rd, that, in order to prevent his impeachment from office, the Deputy Governor approached a Federal Hight Court, Abuja, where he sought protection from being impeached from office.
Among reliefs sought by Shaibu were interlocutory injunction stopping the respondents or their agents from harassing, intimidating, embarrassing or preventing the applicant (Shaibu) from carrying out the functions of his office as Deputy Governor of Edo State, including attending State Executive Council meetings and other functions pending the determination of the substantive suit.
But Government House sources who spoke to INFO DAILY on Friday on condition of anonymity, described the allegation of planned impeachment as false, adding that “impeaching him has never been contemplated, so it is a strategy by him to prevent it and keep his office while fighting to succeed Obaseki.”
According to our sources, the Deputy Governor started his “surreptitious move immediately after the 2023 presidential election by forming a campaign group in all the wards across the state,” adding that “he is driven by his inordinate ambition,” and nothing more.
Our sources revealed that the Deputy Governor had boasted over two months ago of using Wike system in Edo, adding that, he (Shaibu) is likewise in talks with APC at national level in order to defect.
The sources revealed that Obaseki had told told Shaibu that it’s not time for politics so that governance does not suffer, maintaining that at the appropriate time, attention will be given to politics.
Our sources added that, not satisfied with the governor’s stance on his political ambition, he (Shaibu) has being doing all possible to “drag Obaseki to the trenches,” and the consequent abandonment of governance for full politics.
“The only thing His Excellency has done was to insist on him following established government protocol which he fragrantly breaches,” our source added.
According to our sources, “Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who handed over to His Excellency is from Etsako West same as the Deputy Governor, and he wants Obaseki to hand over to him, what then happens to the other LGAs in the North and then the Central too who has never tasted power.”