Despite persistent denials that there has never been love lost between the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu and his principal, Godwin Obaseki, a recent lawsuit has finally blown open that all has not been well at the Dennis Osadebey Avenue seat of power in Benin City.
THE WHISPERER earlier reported that Comrade Phillip Shaibu has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, to seek protection from Obaseki, to avoid impeachment and removal from office.
While political commentators continue to inquire what must have gone wrong between Obaseki and his Deputy, THE WHISPERER can authoritatively report that the political feud is not unconnected to the 2024 governorship ambition of Comrade Shaibu.
Shaibu, in his bid for the Edo Governorship seat, has perfected plans to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), knowing that the zoning arrangements in the party will automatically not favour his candidacy
Edo State is divided into three senatorial districts – South, Central and North. Governor Obaseki, who is from Edo South, succeeded Comrade Adams Oshiomhole from Edo North in 2016, who is from the same Local Government as Philip Shaibu.
Aware of the zoning system in PDP, Shaibu went into talks with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and members of the PDP from the State, who have decamped to the APC.
It was further gathered that Shaibu unveiled his political moves immediately after the 2023 presidential election by forming a campaign group in all the Wards across the State.
An insider familiar with the development in Government House, who confirmed the feud, said Governor Obaseki has consistently maintained that it is not time for politics so that governance does not suffer, insisting that at the appropriate time, attention will be given to politics.
However, the Governor maintained that “he ((Shaibu) followed established protocol. Since then, he has been on the warpath by sponsoring Enwanta Adaze, a former disgruntled Commissioner, who is one of his stooges, to attack the Governor,” the source told online newspaper, TheWill.
He described the suit as a surreptitious move by the Deputy Governor to prevent impeachment from office, adding that at no time has impeachment been considered by Governor Obaseki.
