….History Will Judge You Harshly’ – Shaibu Blasts Edo Assembly Over Impeachment
…I’m Learning On The Job, I Won’t Drag Power With Obaseki — Edo Dep Gov
Ousted Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has lambasted members of the Edo State House of Assembly, who impeached him on Monday.
Shaibu who has been at loggerheads with his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, was eventually booted out of office by the lawmakers.
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The incident followed the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel inaugurated by the Assembly to probe allegations of misconduct against Shaibu.
Shortly after his removal, Obaseki announced the choice of a 38-year-old Engineer as the new deputy governor.
Reacting to the impeachment, Shaibu said the lawmakers gave themselves to an act of betrayal and subversion of justice, adding that history will be cruel to them.
The former deputy governor made this statement in a video he posted on his X account shortly after the impeachment.
Shaibu said, “To the members of the Edo House of Assembly, who have chosen to forsake their oath of office and participate in this charade, I say this: history will judge you hardly for your betrayal of the people who elected you to represent their interest.
“But know this, you do not have the power to silence the voice of power and truth”, calling for the support of the people as he said, “I call upon the judiciary and all relevant authorities to intervene and uphold the principles of justice and fairness.”
He said he was shown the exit because of his ambition to run for the office of the governor, which he described as “an ambition that is legal right.”
“It is with heavy heart yet a resolute spirit that I come before you to address the recent events that have unfolded within our dear state. I denounce in strongest terms the illegal impeachment by the Edo state house of assembly over trumped-up charges, this is not just an attack on me as an individual but on the very democratic principles that we hold dear.
“It’s a dangerous descent into dictatorship, a threat to the foundation of our democracy. Let it be clear that this impeachment was hatched because of my ambition to contest the Edo Governorship election 2024 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”
“My good people of Edo State, thank you all for standing by me under these troubling circumstances as the Deputy Governor of Edo State,” he added
I’m Learning On The Job, I Won’t Drag Power With Obaseki — Edo Dep Gov
The new Deputy Governor of Edo State, Omobayo Godwins, has pledged his unalloyed loyalty to Governor Godwin Obaseki in the few months they will work together before the end of the governor’s eight-year double terms on November 12, 2016.
The 37-year-old, who was sworn in on Monday after the state assembly impeached Philip Shaibu as Edo deputy governor, was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
Godwins said he is learning on the job and won’t hesitate to do all that his principal instructs him to do.
When asked if he is satisfied that the role of a deputy governor has been relegated to a “spare tire”, Godwins said, “It’s okay with me. Life is a process. At 37+, I am already a deputy governor, it has improved my political outlook and I am not in a rush to drag with my governor. Whatever he say I should is what I will do. He knows my strength. So, I will dwell on my strength when it comes to adding value. Politically, I am learning on the job.”
The new deputy governor was unambiguous that his becoming deputy governor, months to the expiration of the eight-year tenure of Obaseki, was part of the political permutations for Ighodalo to defeat his closest contenders like LP’s Olumide Akpata and Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Godwins boasted that he has grassroot support from his base in Akoko Edo, one of the local governments in the Edo North Senatorial District to boost the chances of Ighodalo, who hails from Ewohimi in the Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo Central Senatorial District.
On Shaibu’s impeachment, he said, “That is politics for you. Your job first of all is to be loyal.”
Shaibu was Obaseki’s deputy from November 12, 2016 till April 8, 2024 when he was unceremoniously removed following a protracted rift between the two former political allies.
