Philip Shaibu: Courage or ingratitude?

On November 27, Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, declared to succeed his boss, Godwin Obaseki for the 2024 governorship election.

 

For whatever reason, Obaseki does not want Shaibu to contest the election. And that has sunk their relationship, which analysts say will even worsen in the days ahead, especially with the formal declaration of Shaibu to contest the election.

 

Recall that there were efforts to undermine the declaration of Shaibu earlier billed to hold at the Eterno Hotel in Benin. But at the last minute, the hotel cancelled the event because some allies of Governor Obaseki were said to have paid for the use of the same venue at the exact time.

 

Shaibu, a sportsman and marathon runner, simply moved to another venue and made his declaration public where he told the Edo people of his interest to contest the state’s governorship on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 

To assure Edo people that he meant business, Shaibu added: “Nobody can stop my ambition.”

 

But some have interpreted Shaibu’s line of ‘nobody can stop my ambition’ to mean an affront to his boss who seemingly prefer someone else as Edo governor.

 

Recall that Obaseki had earlier accused Shaibu of disloyalty and inferred that he was an ingrate.

 

He had said at an event in October, “[Shaibu] went to Abuja and was boasting that he has connections in Abuja, that he has people in the national assembly, that they are all with the president now, that they will take care of him if he cannot get the ticket in PDP, he knows what to do.”

But could Shaibu really be accused of disloyalty, ingratitude or simply looking out for his interest to succeed his boss?

 

Shaibu who began politics in his university days and rose to become president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), did not end up as Edo’s deputy governor by accident. It was because he aligned himself with former Edo Governor, Adams Oshiomhole during his days as a union leader. And when in 2020 it became obvious that continuing with Oshiomhole against Obaseki was going to undermine his own interest, he abandoned Oshiomhole. So, his actions against Obaseki may be explained as political expediency.

 

Who is Shaibu

 

Shaibu was born on December 1, 1969, in Kaduna to his father who was late Pastor Francis Osikpomobo Shaibu and his mother, Lucy Momoh.

 

 

He had his early education at St. Augustine Primary School, Tundu Wada Kaduna but finished at L.E.A Primary School Barnawa, Kaduna State where he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate.

 

Shaibu subsequently earned his West African Senior School Certificate in 1989 after attending Sardauna Memorial College, Kawo Kaduna.

 

Comrade Shaibu received a Bachelor of Science degree (Honours) in Accounting from the University of Jos in 2000, where he was the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) between 2000 and 2001 and a master of Business Administration (MBA) from University Of Benin in 2015.