Obaseki denies impeachment plot against Shaibu, accuses him of planning to dump PDP

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State says he has no hand in the impeachment plot against his deputy, Philip Shaibu.

The governor while addressing journalists and Edo North leaders in Benin City on Sunday, August 6, 2023, said he has checked and discovered that there’s been no such plan to remove Shaibu as his deputy.

“Let me put it on record that I am not aware of any plot or any scheme to impeach the Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu. I have also checked and there was no such plan”, Obaseki said.

However, the governor said he’s aware that Shaibu has been consulting and planning to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He maintained that the court action by his deputy was a preemptive move ahead of his defection.

“I believe that this action by him is a preemptive move to get a court order, keep his ticket and move to another party. I think it’s unfair for our party. We don’t need this sort of crisis. 

I have been getting calls all over the world and it’s rather sad that somebody who is part of an administration will do this to the administration because of his personal ambition.” Obaseki said.

‘Shaibu has never discussed his ambition with me’

Even though he admitted that he’s aware of Shaibu’s moves, Obaseki said the deputy governor has never approached him to tell him about his political ambition.

“I must state here that Comrade Shaibu has never had the courtesy to discuss his ambition with me. What I hear is that he is consulting because the last time we spoke about succession after the last House of Assembly elections, I did say that we should all be patient and that our task today is to try and conclude all the projects we have started and to unify and consolidate our party,” the governor said.

He concluded that his successors would be produced with the support of the Edo people and the party when his government completes the projects he has started.