Rumble in Edo as Obaseki, Shaibu, go for each other’s jugular

The once chubby relationship between Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, has crashed.

Shaibu, considered a frontrunner to replace his boss next year, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to seek protection from the same boss from impeachment.

In a motion of notice brought before the court and made available to the media on Thursday, the appellant is seeking an order of interlocutory injunction stopping the respondents or their agents from harassing, intimidating, embarrassing or preventing the applicant from carrying out the functions of his office as Deputy Governor of Edo State including attending State Executive Council meetings and other functions pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The court papers listed the Inspector General of Police, State Security Service, the Governor of Edo State, Speaker Edo House of Assembly and the Chief Judge of Edo State as defendants.

Further investigations reveal that in the past two months, all have not been well in the state house, Benin City between Obaseki and Shaibu.

The bad blood between the duo started when Shaibu was seen in a viral video with Senator Adams Oshiomhole during the inauguration of the National Assembly in Abuja.

Sources alleged that a few days after the Abuja viral video, the governor summoned all Edo State House of Assembly PDP members to his house, excluding his deputy, which was extremely unusual. The deputy, who was briefed about the meeting, drove directly to the governor’s house but was rebuffed by the DSS personnel who told him he was not on their list of invitees.

According to a reliable source, the DSS operatives might have been told not to allow him in based on his association with Oshiomhole and Lawrence Oka.

The source further said the meeting was held to allocate the leadership positions in preparation for the next day’s inauguration which was a run-up to end Philip’s political career and ambition. All efforts to reach the deputy governor or his media aides were unsuccessful.

Three weeks ago, a government house source noted the consistent nocturnal meetings in the PDP leader’s residence in Benin City. In one such meeting, some of the Local Government chairmen across the state were selected and briefed on the developments by the governor to sensitise and prepare them for his pending actions.

Amidst the persisting cold war between the governor and his deputy, a former deputy governor, Mike Ogiadomhe, and a former chief judge promptly summoned the duo to broker peace.

Obaseki accused Shaibu of dining with his foes. In addition, he accused his deputy of mentioning the Oba of Benin to the Italian Embassy without his permission. It was also said that the governor was determined to punish his deputy for visiting the relatives of a deceased renowned chief of the Benin Kingdom without his permission.

Though all the allegations were addressed, and both resolved to work in harmony to move the state forward, two days later, the source revealed that the governor directed the Revenue Generation Agencies and the Local Government Councils, which include HOLGAs, Bankers, Technical Partners, EIRS, and Edo-GIS domiciled in the Deputy Governor’s office be moved to his office despite the successes recorded by Shaibu who raised it from N3m monthly to N120m after serious threats.

The source further revealed that the governor summoned a meeting to hold at the Exco Chambers to address all concerned, but a twist was introduced as all others who met one on one in the Governor’s Office contrary to the given venue through the supervision of his Chief of Staff and instructed that Shaibu must not be allowed into his office.