Shaibu faults defection claim, court halts removal

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Thursday, debunked the claim that he is planning to leave the Peoples Democratic Party to join the All Progressives Congress.

His Chief Press Secretary, Musa Ebomhiana, in a statement on Thursday, described the claim as the handiwork of mischief makers who are bent on widening the rift between the deputy governor and his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki.

There has been tension between Shaibu and Obaseki over Shaibu’s alleged ambition to succeed Obaseki as governor.

Shaibu also headed to court to seek an order to stop an alleged plot by Obaseki to use the state House of Assembly to impeach him.

On Monday, while addressing the crisis between him and his deputy, Obaseki described Shuaibu’s suit against him as baseless, saying there was no plot to impeach him.

Obaseki also categorically stated that Shaibu had perfected plans to defect from the PDP to the APC to pursue his governorship ambition.

But in a statement on Thursday, Shaibu’s CPS said there was no truth in the defection claim, blaming it on those he described as “hack writers and mischief makers bent on destabilising our dear Edo State.”

“They will stop at nothing to widen the gulf between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu.

“They have generated more lies from the pit of hell, saying that Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu has perfected plans to rejoin the All Progressives Congress next week. There is no iota of truth in this.

“To further put a lie to this, the spin doctors claimed that the APC National Working Committee is set to receive him in Abuja. The question here for the discerning minds is: is it the NWC of a party that receives a defector into the party?

“Shaibu has never minced words, vowing to sink and swim with his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki. This, he has said severally at public fora.

“In view of this, I plead with these characters bent on driving a wedge between Shaibu and his boss, to put the Edo project and the people far above their own selfish interest,” Ebomhiana said.

Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, made an order restraining Obaseki from initiating any alleged impeachment process against Shaibu.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed ordered parties in the suit to maintain“status quo ante bellum.”

Apart from Obaseki, also listed as defendants in the suit filed by Shaibu were the Inspector General of Police; the Department of State Services; the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly; and the Chief Judge, Edo State.

Justice Mohammed, in a ruling on Thursday, restrained the security agencies from arresting, detaining, or harassing Shaibu, pending the determination of his suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/1027/2023.

The judge, while adjourning the matter till August 22, directed the defendants to show cause why the prayers being sought by Shaibu in his suit should not be granted.