A socio-political group from Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo State has advised the state deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, to sheath his sword in the fight against his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, and toe the path of peace in the spirit of equity and fairness.
The convener of the group, which operates under the aegis of Esan Advocate for Good Governance, Comrade Bartholomew Okoudo, who made a call while addressing journalists in Benin City, said there had been peace and security in Edo before the misunderstanding broke out and appealed to the deputy governor not to create tension in the state through his actions and desperate moves.
On the issue of which district should produce the governor in 2024, Okoudo said that “It is the turn of Edo Central to produce the next governor of Edo State. Anyone working contrary to such plan is anti- people as it relates to the zoning arrangement by political parties.
According to him, “The people of Edo Central Senatorial District are calling on the Edo State deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, to exercise restraint and stop the incessant blackmail of the governor, His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in a bid to pressure the governor to yield to pressure to disregard the senatorial zoning arrangement to produce the next governor of the Edo State.”
Okoudo added that the deputy governor’s frequent tirade was to get the governor to endorse his candidacy for the governorship election held next year, alleging that Shaibu’s attempt to curry public sympathy was aimed at arm-twisting the governor.
He warned the public to be cautious as the deputy governor’s frustration was aimed at making it appear that he was being victimised, whereas “everyone knows he is intoxicated by his inordinate ambition.”
“Shaibu thinks everything must be by force. It is on record that the people of Edo North Senatorial District produced Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who is also from Etsako West Local Government Area, as the current Edo State Deputy Governor. He served for eight years between 2008 and 2016 before handing over to the incumbent governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, a Benin man who was produced by the people of Edo South Senatorial District”, Comrade Okoudo added.
He declared that it is the turn of the Central Senatorial District to produce the next governor according to the zoning arrangement, pointing out that the zone had never had the opportunity to produce the governor of the state except the short reign of Professor Oserheimen Osunbor between May 2007 and November 2008.
“The shenanigans by Comrade Shaibu aimed at blackmailing the governor in pursuit of his unreasonable and desperate ambition to become the next governor at all costs will not work and must be resisted by all well-meaning Edo people. During the administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion between 1999 and 2007, the Deputy Governor at the time was Chief Mike Oghiadomhe from Etsako in Edo North Senatorial District. He also served for eight years.
“This was followed by Oshiomhole also from Etsako West as Governor and now Comr. Philip Shaibu, from Etsako West who is almost completing eight years tenure as deputy governor. How then can he be aspiring to be next governor? Is this fair and equitable? What is the fate of the other local government areas and senatorial districts in the State?
The Esan Advocate for Good Governance convener, while admitting that the deputy governor could aspire for any political position in the state and country, but urged him not to put undue pressure on the governor into neglecting the zoning arrangement, saying such “runs against the spirit of fairness and equity.”
“We also charge Nigerians not to be deceived by all these tantrums, blackmail and display of entitlement by the Deputy Governor which are failed attempts to force the governor to yield to pressure so that Comrade Shaibu can have his way and become the next governor of Edo State.
“From Shaibu running to the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking for a restraining order to stop Governor Obaseki from impeaching him to spreading falsehoods about the Governor preventing him from performing his roles as deputy and causing various scenes at public events and public places, it has all been an engineered charade to make the Governor seem unapproachable.
“The most recent of this is his attempt to force his way into the personal office of the Governor along with his security aides at the Dennis Osadebey Avenue, GRA, Benin City. The Deputy Governor who has worked with Governor Obaseki over the past seven years should know him better that no amount of pressure to blackmail him will force the governor to support him in his inordinate quest”, Okoudo stated.
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