Genesis of the Obaseki, Shaibu disagreement

The pairing of Godwin Obaseki as governor and Philip Shaibu as his deputy was a combination that was doomed to fail. Today, those who predicted it have been proven right. The relationship between the Edo State governor and his deputy has broken down ahead of next year’s governorship election in the Southsouth state. Shaibu might eventually be impeached before 2024, according to reliable sources. The sources said former Governor Adams Oshiomhole was probably more concerned about winning the 2016 governorship election when paired both of them. They told our reporter that they had foreknowledge that the pairing of Obaseki and Shaibu was incompatible.

This is not farfetched. Obaseki and Shaibu are from different backgrounds. They served in the administration of former Governor Oshiomhole in different circumstances. Obaseki, a technocrat, was the head of the economic team. He was later referred to as the ‘software’ that powered the successes of Oshiomhole as governor. Shaibu, on the other hand, was a former president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and a lawmaker. As a member of the Edo State House of Assembly, he ensured a smooth relationship between his colleagues in the legislative chamber and the executive arm of government.

Shaibu was a key ally of former Governor Oshiomhole; he assisted the latter to fight against the then formidable Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers who refused to pass the 2009 budget. The budget was eventually approved inside the bedroom of the late Chief Tony Anenih who was then godfather of Edo politics, after many projects were tinkered with. It was in February 2010 that Shaibu and other lawmakers elected on the platform of the then-ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) fought and drove out their PDP counterparts. Though he was a member of the Edo State House of Assembly, Shaibu was widely regarded as the de facto deputy governor to Oshiomhole. He had already won his election to represent his constituency at the House of Representatives in 2015 when he was nominated by Oshiomhole to be the running mate to Obaseki in the 2016 governorship election.

The nomination of Shaibu, the political ‘son’ of Oshiomhole as deputy to Obaseki was perceived by many as a ploy by the then-outgoing governor to have a firm grip on the administration of Obaseki. The first signal that the relationship was doomed to fail reared its head in 2017 when Governor Obaseki was to present his first budget. Shaibu was said to have refused to be present at the budget presentation because he was not carried along in the preparation of the budget and was not conversant with its full content. It was said that Oshiomhole had to intervene before he agreed.

However, it was the preparation for the APC primary ahead of the 2019 general elections that further strengthened the relationship between Shaibu and Obaseki and pitched them against Oshiomhole who had become the party’s national chairman. The two sides disagreed over the choice of candidates for both the National Assembly and the state assembly. Oshiomhole used his position as national chairman to substitute the names of candidates that emerged at the primaries before submitting the list to the election management body in Abuja. Those who had secured the party’s ticket with the backing of both Obaseki and Shaibu were replaced, particularly for the state House of Assembly election. That singular action of Oshiomhole united Obaseki and Shaibu and it snowballed to the 2020 governorship election when the former governor denied them the party’s return ticket. Shaibu, who pitched a tent with Obaseki against his ‘father’, was vehement in his opposition to Oshiomhole’s plan to emerge the new godfather of Edo politics. When Obaseki secured the PDP ticket to run for a second term, following his humiliation out of the APC, he insisted on running with Shaibu despite pressure from the PDP leaders that he should pick a deputy from within the so-called legacy PDP.

Shaibu, regarded as a loyal deputy, was given various responsibilities. He was placed to oversee revenue generation. He was also in charge of sports and youth empowerment.

But, the outcome of the recent general elections where the PDP performed abysmally in Edo State is believed to be the beginning of the sour relationship between Obaseki and Shaibu. Party sources said it was a signal to Obaseki to take charge ahead of the governorship election.

Some top government officials who do not wish to be named said Shaibu didn’t expect the governor to turn against him. They said it was shocking for Shaibu to learn in July, through a letter from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) that ministries, including local government councils, have been directed to liaise with the Mr. Governor in matters concerning internally generated revenue, instead of the deputy governor.

A close aide to Obaseki said the governor decided to cut the excesses and powers of Shaibu ahead of the September local government elections and the forthcoming governorship primary. He added that the governor is also deploying other tactics, including ensuring proper protocols were observed by Shaibu. It was all calculated to frustrate Shaibu’s quest to succeed his boss. Shaibu’s supporters said Obaseki should support his deputy as payback for supporting him against Oshiomhole.

Government officials said the governor has advised his deputy to allow them to focus on governance and play politics at the appropriate time. They said the governor was not in support of Shaibu’s ambition to succeed him and that the decision has to do with the subsisting power rotation or zoning arrangement in the state. Edo Central is favoured to produce the next governor. So, Shaibu who is of Estako extraction from Edo North is not suitable, in the governor’s opinion, for the party’s ticket. The argument put forward was that Oshiomhole, the current lawmaker representing Edo North is of Estako extraction and that the minister-designate, Abubakar Momoh is also from that axis of the state. Besides, several persons of Estako extraction have served as either governor or deputy since 1999.

In addition, the source said Governor Obaseki does not believe Shaibu would continue with his plans and vision as spelt out in his 30-year development plan for the state. A boardroom guru, Asue Ighodalo, was named as Obaseki’s choice. The plan B, according to a source, is to support a powerful politician from Edo South due to the voting population to retain power in the state. The source said: “Shaibu wants to force the governor to support him at all costs. But the governor is not keying into it. The deputy governor is trying to blackmail his principal into submission and has probably forgotten how the governor warded off demands by the legacy PDP group to drop him in 2020.

“The governor has put certain pThey said the governor was not in support of Shaibu’s ambition to succeed him and that the decision has to do with the subsisting power rotation or zoning arrangement in the state. Edo Central is favoured to produce the next governor. So, Shaibu who is of Estako extraction from Edo North is not suitable, in the governor’s opinion, for the party’s ticketrotocols in place that he has earlier overlooked for the sake of peace. Some of the protocols are that Shaibu must inform him before storming his office and ensuring Shaibu is stopped from entering state executive council meetings whenever he is late. Shaibu used to come late to exco meetings but the governor has put a stop to it. How can the deputy governor handle the revenue of a state? Obaseki gave him a long rope to operate but the governor is now insisting on things being properly. Shaibu has gone around the political wards in the state and set up structures without informing the governor. The governor himself is focusing on governance and cannot sacrifice other ethnic groups like the Akokos, the Owans, the Esan, to support his deputy who is from Estako.”

Shaibu, in the suit he filed seeking protection from the court to stop impeachment proceedings against him, listed several instances where he has been deprived of performing his constitutional roles. He stated that there were occasions when gates were locked against him and he was prevented from attending critical meetings. He said: “Ever since I made known my intention, the third defendant was not pleased and openly told me to jettison any idea of succeeding him in office, to which I refused and has since then become his enemy. The third defendant has been doing all he can to prevent me from carrying out my official functions as the deputy governor and has ever since refused to involve me in all matters about the state administration of which I hitherto participated and acted creditably with commendation. The office of the third defendant posted, as usual, the schedule of meetings of the governor for Monday, July 17, 2023.

“Amongst the meetings for that day was the one scheduled for 11:00 am with HOLGAs, bankers, technical partners, EIRS and Edo-GIS – which was to hold at the State Executive Chambers. Before the appointed time at the Exco Chambers, all the named persons and bodies, including the deputy governor and the SSG, were all seated. The said meeting for 11:00 am at the State Executive Council Chambers however never held as the third defendant did not come to the chambers for the meeting, but the attendees, except the deputy governor, were invited into the Governor’s Office by the Chief of Staff to Mr. Governor for discussion and dispersed from there.

“Since that day, the Office of the Deputy Governor has not been receiving any schedule of the meetings and events of the third defendant, contrary to the existing practice and procedure in Government House. On Wednesday, July 19, 2023, it was when briefs for the State Executive Council Meetings were forwarded to my (Personal Private Secretary) that I knew that there would be an Exco meeting that day at 11:00 am for the meeting at 10:00 am as no schedule of Mr, Governor was sent to my office as it used to be.

“On Friday, July 21, 2023, at about 3:45 pm, I was going for an engagement outside the office when my Protocol Officer called the Chief Detail to inform him that there was going to be Security Meeting at 4:00 pm as I saw Security Officers and Commanders in the Government House premises which placed me on enquiry and I got to know of it. On June 15, 2023, I was informed that there was going to be a meeting in the third defendant’s house to determine the leadership of the House of Assembly, but when I got to the gate of the third defendant’s house, the State Security personnel informed me that I was not invited to the meeting and would not be allowed into the meeting. I called the third defendant about eight times on the phone, but he refused to pick up my calls.

“The following day, June 16, 2023, when I was to go to the Governor’s Office, I met the gate between the two offices locked and on enquiry, the DSS personnel from the Governor’s Office told my DSS personnel that they were under instruction from the third defendant not to allow me in or open the gate for me. While trying to know what happened, there was a meeting at the instance of the former deputy governor, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, between the third defendant, myself and Chief Mike Oghiadomhe.

“At the meeting, the third defendant alleged that the reasons for his actions were that I was dining with his enemies and that the only way our relationship can come back to what it used to be was for me to go to the public space (media) to renounce my interest in the forthcoming governorship election. Despite the intervention of well-meaning stakeholders, including the Oba of Benin, the third defendant is hell-bent on dealing with me and has vowed to use all machinery at his disposal to remove me from office as the deputy governor of Edo State.”

A public affairs analyst, Dennis Osaretin said the resort to using the court as Shaibu is currently doing at a time when there was practically nothing to be scared about gives the deputy governor away as a man haunted by his demons. He said: “Come to think of it, during the administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion between 1999 and 2007, the deputy governor at the time was Chief Mike Oghiadomhe from Etsako; he did eight years. Then came Comrade Adams Oshiomhole from Etsako West as governor; he did another eight years. This was followed by Comr. Philip Shaibu, from Etsako West as deputy governor; is almost completing another eight years.

“Does Shaibu, therefore, think that it is fair and equitable for him to become Edo’s next governor, particularly when he is from the same Etsako West where the immediate past governor is from? Are there no other competent hands from other ethnic groups? What happens to the people from Owan East and Owan West, Akoko-Edo and the Esans? Are they not part of Edo State? If these people are constantly disenfranchised by Edo South and Etsako people, would the consequences not be dire? Shaibu must be called to order to temper his ambition with reason.”

Some lawmakers in the Edo Assembly who spoke to our reporter have denied any plot yet to impeach Shaibu.

However, Governor Obaseki has been victorious in all his political wars since he emerged as governor. Obaseki holds all the aces against his Shaibu. He is expected to carry out more decisive actions to make Shaibu merely resume office to be reading newspapers daily.

On his part, Shaibi has never displayed cowardice since his days as a students’ union leader. Political analysts believe he would get the needed support to keep the loyalty of his supporters, especially those appointed by Governor Obaseki. One thing is certain, according to a top government source; Shaibu will not last as deputy governor till 2024.
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