8th August, 2023
Governor Godwin Obaseki has accused his deputy Phillip Shaibu of plotting to defect to the All Progressives Congress in order to get the ticket to contest the 2024 governorship election in Edo.
Obaseki made the accusation on Tuesday while speaking to the leaders of PDP who paid a solidarity visit to his office.
The governor noted that there was never a plan to impeach Shaibu.
According to Obaseki, the court order secured by Shaibu was to make him remain the deputy governor after he defects to APC.
The governor also revealed that his deputy has never discussed his governorship ambition with him but he is aware of his ongoing consultations with his friends in APC.
Obaseki said: “I am not aware of any plot or any scheme to impeach the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu . I have also checked and there is no such plan or there was no such plan.
“The court action that has been taken by him, for me, it is a thing of shock and disappointment. I have sat back to reflect on why someone that I have worked closely with has decided to go on this course of action. It is clear from what has happened in the last few weeks that it is unfortunate that this is just a pre-emptive move by him to conclude what he has already started. Those of you from Akoko-Edo recall that when we were discussing the issue of your local government chairmanship and also that of Owan-East, there was a lot of resistance from you on the candidate he wanted to impose on you. I listened to your entries and I thought what you were asking for was fair. How can you (Shaibu) be recommending for the chairmanship of a Local Government Council, the son of the APC leader in that Local Government. You people resisted and I saw reasons and acceded to your requests. Once we did, the next day I saw on social media, he went to Abuja. Went for the inauguration of the National Assembly and started moving with his friend in another party. I have had reports for months now that he has been in close consultations with friends from another party because he is not sure that you the leaders of PDP will give him the governorship ticket in 2024. I must state here that Comrade Philip Shuaib has never had the courtesy to discuss his ambition with me. What I hear is that he is consulting. The last time we spoke about my succession, I did say that we should all be patient and that our task today is to try and finish well, to conclude all the project we have started, and to unify and consolidate our party because it is only when we do this things right, we would have the support from our people to produce my successor. I made it clear.
“I believe that this action by him is just preemptive to a get a court order, keep his position while he now moves to the other party to get the ticket, and I think it is unfair on our party, it’s unfair on the state, we do not need this sort of crisis. It is rather sad, that somebody who has been part of an administration would do this to the administration he has been part of just because of his own ambition. I am not angry, naturally I should be disappointed but I am not angry.”
The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court had on August 4 issued a temporary order stopping Governor Obaseki from impeaching Shaibu over what the deputy governor described as irreconcilable differences.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed gave the temporary order while ruling on a motion on notice filed by Mr Shaibu , praying the court to stop Mr Obaseki’s plans to remove him from office.
In the motion, argued by Moses Ebute, SAN, Mr Mohammed directed the parties in the suit to maintain “status quo ante bellum”.
By the order, parties must remain in their positions before Mr Shaibu ’s suit was instituted against Mr Obaseki.
The order for the status quo to be maintained was released on Friday in Abuja, and it is to be in force until the defendants show cause as directed in another court ruling on July 27.
Listed as defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/1027/2023 are the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), State Security Service (SSS) and Mr Obaseki.
Others are speaker of the Edo House of Assembly and the chief judge of Edo as first to fifth defendants.
Justice Mohammed adjourned the matter until August 10 and ordered that the IG, SSS and Mr Obaseki, who were not represented in court, be served with hearing notices.
Mr Shaibu, in his originating summons, prayed the court to determine whether, in view of the provisions of sections 186 and 193 of the 1999 Constitution, Mr Obaseki had the power to intimidate and prevent him from accessing his office.
He also asked the court to ascertain whether the governor had the powers to instigate the speaker and the chief judge to commence impeachment proceedings against him.
This, he said, was to remove him from office on any ground other than allegations of misconduct as contained in Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
The deputy governor further asked the court to decide whether, given section 193 of the 1999 Constitution, Mr Obaseki could deliberately refuse to carry him along or inform him of the State Executive Council (SEC) Meeting.
At Friday’s proceedings, the speaker was represented by Okotie Eboh, while Francis Ogbe represented the chief judge.
They both opposed the granting of Mr Shaibu’s request.