The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has made public the reasons he fell out of favour with his Principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Mr. Shaibu, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), spoke on Tuesday evening when he appeared as a guest on Channels TV’s “Politics Today.”
The Deputy Governor had, on Monday, declared interest in contesting in the September 2024 governorship election in the state, despite facing strong opposition from Governor Obaseki who appears to prefer another candidate as his successor.
Shaibu’s ambition is believed to be the cause of the feud between him and his boss.
Speaking during the Channels TV programme, the Deputy governor said the feud with Mr Obaseki started when he visited and congratulated a former Governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, on the latter’s Senate election victory.
“One of the crises that I had (with Obaseki) was when I went to the Senate to congratulate Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and I was seen in a viral video.
“That was where my headache started because the governor’s style is that a friend of the governor, you must be (a) friend to him, and an enemy to the governor, you must be enemy to him,” he said.
Despite supporting Mr Obaseki as his successor in 2016, Mr Oshiomhole became the governor’s political enemy after he (Oshiomhole) allegedly resisted the governor’s move to secure the APC ticket for his second term in office.
The situation prompted Mr Obaseki to defect to the then opposition PDP where he secured the party’s ticket and subsequently won the September 2020 governorship poll in the state.
Mr Shaibu said that although he is being careful not to further hobnob with Mr Oshiomhole whom he described as his “political father,” he was happy that Mr Obaseki had started inviting the former governor to certain functions of the state government.
“And now that he (Obaseki) has started (inviting Oshiomhole), I think that the next step is for me to reach him (Oshiomhole) and also first apologise to him for some use of words during the election,” he said.
How God asked me to pursue governorship ambition
Mr Shaibu had, while declaring his interest to contest in the September 2024 governorship election in the state, said nobody can stop his ambition.
Speaking on Channels TV, the deputy governor expressed confidence that he would win the PDP governorship primary despite the opposition to his ambition.
“I can assure you that I will secure the ticket and my name and the party will be on the ballot.
“My name will be sent to INEC and I will be the candidate for the party (PDP) in the election because I don’t do things without checking. I have gone round and consulted and I have been assured,” he stated.
The deputy governor claimed that God had asked him to pursue his governorship ambition in the state and that there was no denying that he would win the party’s primary.
“Humans cannot say things cannot happen because if God gives us power, he gives us power for certain purposes.
“The same God that gives power is the God that I have gone to and God has asked me to go ahead. I don’t do things by my strength so since I am sure that God is with me, no man can stop me,” he said.
Background
The feud between Messrs Obaseki and Shaibu became obvious after the deputy governor asked a court to stop an alleged plot by the governor to remove him from office.
Mr Obaseki denied the allegation and subsequently accused Mr Shaibu of manipulating the youth council election in Edo State because of his (Shaibu’s) interest in contesting for the 2024 governorship election in the state.
The feud between the two became messier in August when the governor sacked Mr Shaibu’s aides after the deputy governor staged a walk-out during a colloquium in the state.
The deputy governor had staged the walkout after his media aides and security details were denied entry at the colloquium organised by the state government to mark the 60th anniversary of the Midwest Referendum in the state.
The governor, in the heat of the feud, relocated the deputy governor’s office out of the Government House.
In another twist in September, Mr Shaibu tendered a public apology to the governor over the feud between them. (Channels TV)
