Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has maintained that he would not back the ambition of his m deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu, to succeed him.
Recall that Shaibu had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking protection from possible impeachment and removal from office by his principal, Governor Obaseki, and the state House of Assembly.
In a motion of notice brought before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on July 28, 2023, and made available to journalists on Thursday, the appellant sought 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 the state.
This includes attending State Executive Council meetings and other functions pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The relationship between the governor and the deputy was ruptured over the deputy governor’s decision to contest next year’s election.
Speaking on behalf of Obaseki, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, said he won’t back Shaibu because it was not time for intense politicking, as doing so would be a distraction.
According to him, no amount of blackmail would make the Edo governor support Shaibu’s governorship aspiration.
He said Obaseki’s position is that abandoning governance to pursue intense politics now would not be in the best interests of the Edo people.
Osagie, who described Shaibu as a rabble-rouser, noted that he took his indiscipline and hubris to the zenith by trying to create a crisis.
“Shaibu always plays the card of a very loyal deputy, but this is far from reality. A sinner runs when no one pursues him.
“The most blame goes to Governor Obaseki for trying to adopt a civilised manner in relating with his deputy, in a society where such gesture would be taken for weakness,” The Nation quoted Osagie.
