Comrade Philip Shaibu has been thrown into a series of political troubles, and the most recent is his impeachment as the deputy governor of Edo state. On April 8th, the Edo State House of Assembly impeached the embattled deputy governor, following the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the Assembly to probe allegations of misconduct against Shaibu.
Recall that on March 22, the Chief Judge of Edo, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, constituted a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of impeachment notice leveled on the State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, by the State House of Assembly, and to be headed by retired Justice S. A. Omonua.
This panel was constituted as a result of a motion moved by the Majority Leader of the House, Charity Aiguobarueghian, on March 6, for the impeachment proceeding. During the plenary, he cited perjury and disclosure of government secrets by the embattled Deputy Governor, while also announcing that 21 out of the 24 members of the Assembly had signed an impeachment notice.
Following Shaibu’s sacking, Godwin Obaseki, incumbent governor, immediately appointed and swore in 38-year-old Omobayo Godwin as his new deputy.
In reaction to this, Shaibu described it as a threat to the nation’s democracy and he believed it was a ‘flagrant abuse of power’.
How It All Started
Shaibu attended the University of Jos where he obtained a B. Sc degree in Accounting, during his stay at the university, he was president of the Students’ Union from 2000 -2001. In 2003, he was elected into the Edo State House of Assembly, where he spent two terms representing Etsako West Constituency. In 2015, he won election into the Federal House of Representatives on the platform of the APC, representing Etsako federal constituency.
He was unanimously announced as the running mate to Governor Godwin Obaseki at the 2016 Edo State gubernatorial election, and with the support of Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole who was his political godfather, the duo eventually won the election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In the buildup to the 2020 Edo Gubernatorial election, Shaibu was a strong political ally of Governor Godwin Obaseki in their re-election bid. Obaseki had fallen out with his former mentor, Adams Oshiomhole, and had to leave the APC for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with Shaibu following behind. The duo got reelected.
The bond between the governor and his deputy strengthened significantly, extending beyond conventional boundaries. In numerous instances when Obaseki was abroad or returned to Lagos, Shaibu assumed the role of acting governor. Moreover, Shaibu gained direct oversight of pivotal government sectors, such as sports, revenue-generating agencies, and notably, the crucial Ministry of Local Government Affairs.
Little Conflicts Grown Too Big
In November 2023, Shaibu declared his ambition to contest the 2024 governorship election in Edo on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The declaration was made amid the political tension between Shaibu and Obaseki.
The move to impeach Shaibu is apparently because of his insistence to contest for the 2024 governorship election in Edo against the wish of Governor Godwin Obaseki, who prefers another, Asue Ighodalo, to succeed him as governor. He felt Shaibu was making efforts to undermine his authority, leading to a good political relationship turning sour. Even though Shaibu tried through the court to restrain Governor Godwin Obaseki and others from impeaching him, it became a reality, owing to the strong will of the house members.
Since the feud began, the governor has stripped his deputy of state responsibilities he had once controlled such as revenue supervision and sports administration in the state. The feud even led to the deputy governor being kicked out of his office from the Government House to a different location at No. 7 Dennis Osadebe Avenue, formerly meant for the state Public Procurement Office. These conflicts according to reports were also seen in the 2024 budget allocations of the state with the office of the deputy governor receiving a paltry N300 million as compared to billions received in the past.
In several interviews, Shaibu attributed these conflicts to his right to contest under the law, adding that he has made efforts to bridge the relationship gap with his principal but to no avail.
“I have called him and he doesn’t pick up, even in public functions. I greet him, but he doesn’t answer me, because I have made up my mind that I must exercise my right. We’ve never had any differences, the only difference we have is ‘why are you contesting?’’ Shaibu said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program held in February.
However, in an earlier interview held in 2023 August, with Vanguard, Obaseki while commenting on this feud said his deputy governor, Shaibu didn’t inform him about his aspirations, while also holding tight to several issues including the several meetings with party chieftain and assembly members in Abuja without his notice.
What Lies Ahead This Political Darkness?
On February 22, Shaibu was declared winner of a factional governorship primary election that was reportedly held at his residence in Benin City, the state capital, while Asue Ighodalo was also announced winner of another PDP primary exercise which took place at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin. Six days later, Shaibu stormed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s national headquarters in Abuja, demanding the party’s certificate of return for the governorship election. The certificate which was earlier given to Dr. Asue Ighodalo.
He had earlier posited that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP would be defeated without him, just as he described the primaries that produced Asue Ighodalo as the candidate of the party as an Owambe party and laughable.
In March, the embattled governor dragged the party’s candidate, Dr. Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the party’s primary held on February 22, 2024.
Shaibu, through his lawyers, is seeking an order from the court nullifying PDP’s declaration of Ighodalo as the candidate of the party in the governorship primary election.
As this issue continues to gain wide attention, the chairperson of the Lagos State chapter of the PDP, recently urged Shaibu to be patient with the party, saying he could still become governor of the state. This sentiment was also shared with the Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jaret Tenebe, who provided succor to Shaibu. Tenebe visited Shaibu in his Abuja residence on the 10th of April, describing Shaibu’s impeachment as a sham, and urged him to use all legal means to overturn his removal.
For Shaibu, there is still a gleam of hope since the matter is in court. This is not new to the Nigeria political sector where deputy have to fight their way through to push for the governorship aspirations without support from their principal. At the state level, only 10 out of 149 deputy governors have taken over from their bosses since 1999, across the 36 states of the federation, and not necessarily because their bosses wanted them there. Hopefully, for Shaibu, there will be a light at the end of this dark political path.
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