Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State, has claimed that Philip Shaibu, his deputy, is fervently seeking to succeed him as the state’s next governor and will use any means necessary to do so, including overthrowing him in a coup.continue reading
Obaseki made this statement while discussing his campaign for the September 2, 2023 local government election with elders and leaders from the state’s Etsako West, East, and Central local government areas in Jattu, Etsako West.
To ensure he kicks me out and takes over as governor of Edo State, my deputy governor has grown so determined to succeed that he is prepared to do anything, including staging a coup.
“What struck me was his action after the proclamation of the Edo State House of Assembly and preparing to elect officers in the House,” said Obaseki, who expressed shock and dissatisfaction over his deputy’s recent activities. He returned that day from Abuja.
I obtain any information I require as the state’s chief security officer, but I keep quiet about it and make discreet use of it.
My deputy called an APC leader and informed him that he would like the seven APC members in the House to cooperate with him to elect the Speaker of the House of Assembly the following day because he had five loyal members.
Following this information, he continued, “I called the PDP members to my house to get to know them.
Shaibu attempted to swoop in. I told you not to enter my home. It’s not even the Government House; it’s my own residence. You must be courteous, but it is now up to me to let you in or not.
“When I found out what he had done, I refused to let him in. We proceeded to the House the following day, where he arrived and we elected our Speaker.
He did not act in the party’s best interests when he did what he did. How is it possible for him to choose someone other than the governor’s preferred candidate?
Musa Ebomhiana, the deputy governor’s chief press secretary, declined to comment when he was approached.
The governor, however, went on to say that he was accessible to his deputy and gave him authority to lead while he was away.
“I am open to the SSG and my deputy in everything I do, and I delegate responsibility to them,” he declared. I gave my deputy control of the situation while I left on vacation.
He called me while I was away about certain concerns, but I told him to handle it alone and encouraged him to make mistakes. We will fix it jointly when I return.
Obaseki also accused his deputy of mishandling Edo North politics, which he said prevented the party from electing any representatives from the region to the House of Assembly.
He declared, “This has never happened before, but the PDP now has no representatives from Etsako in the House of Assembly. In my past, if someone was given responsibility and failed, we would instantly change them, but I didn’t do that.
Obaseki added, “I took an interest in the local government elections so that we can strengthen and unify our party.
The deputy governor never addressed his governorship ambition with me. During the nomination, there were problems, and wherever I went, there were already camps for the deputy governor.
I informed him, however, that I had not yet completed my tenure as governor and that he should permit me to do so, but he never approached me to express his desire to run for office.
The controversial deputy governor would be welcomed by the Labour Party in Edo State, according to Kelly Ogbaloi, the party’s chairman, if he opted to leave the PDP.
If Philip Shaibu attends our celebration, he won’t do it as the deputy governor but rather as a regular person, according to Ogbaloi. Anyone who wishes to enter to run for office is welcome to do so.
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