The recent turmoil in Edo state has indeed shown that things are no longer at ease between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy Phillip Shaibu as the centre can no longer hold.
The sour relationship has since degenerated to the point of the two Edo politicians holding each other at the jugular over the Edo state 2024 guber polls.
The cordial relationship between the two has since been tainted by political scheming and the quest for power.
Despite Obaseki’s claims that he is not behind his deputy’s travails nor the alleged impeachment move, those in the know keep watching as the events unfold.
From the day Obaseki won the governorship election and Shaibu his deputy against all odds, till the duo defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Shaibu has never hidden his thirst for power.
In the history of Edo state, after independence, the Edo central senatorial district only tasted the governorship seat during the 18-month stint of Professor Osarhiemen Osunbor before he was sacked by the Appeal Court.
At the end of Obaseki’s tenure in November 2024, Edo South will be completing 16 years of holding power in the state. Edo North had eight years of governorship under Adams Oshiomhole. Edo North also had 16 years as deputy governor. First was Mike Oghiadomhe (1999-2007) and now Philip Shaibu (2016-2024).
However, we gathered that in the spirit of fairness and equity, Obaseki is seeking a powershift to Edo central to ensure a rotational policy that will also bring the Edo Central and the people of Owan and Akoko-Edo in the state.
Despite not making his intention known and not disclosing who he is going to support as his successor, Shuaibu seems to be reading the handwriting on the wall and has decided to take his own fate in his own hands.
Society rendezvous gathered that Obaseki has been tolerant and tried to manage the crack in the relationship because he holds his deputy in high esteem and because they have come a long way in their struggle for power so he did everything possible to ensure they have no reason to spread their dirty linen in public.
Society Rendezvous have also gathered that their relationship was further strained by the sudden romance between Shaibu and Senator Adams Oshiomhole when a viral video of Oshiomhole, Shaibu and other members of the APC in Abuja after the inauguration of elected national assembly members broke.
“On seeing this footage online, Governor Obaseki summoned a meeting without inviting Shaibu. Obaseki started to distance himself from him because he felt betrayed by his deputy. Shaibu also sought an audience with his boss but was rebuffed. With the fear of the unknown, he seeked refuge with an injunction from a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, asking for a restraining order to stop his removal or impeachment by the state house of assembly members,” a source said.
Shuaibu already took legal process to defend himself and remain unimpeached while also nursing the intention to return to his erstwhile party the APC in a bid to get the ticket to contest as he believes getting the PDP ticket was going to be a herculean task for him.
With the current situation, some party leaders have waded in to quench the burning fire but it seems they are not going to let peace reign. A source said even if they reconcile, Obaseki will never trust or support his deputy and he believes his over-ambition will also pose a threat to his own functionality and also install his preferred successor. (The Nation)
