Edo election: Shaibu, Oshiomhole continue war of attrition

The political war of attrition between the Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, and his erstwhile godfather and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, continued on Sunday with the former accusing the Oshiomhole of plotting to overturn Governor Godwin Obaseki’s victory at the September 2020 governorship election through the Judiciary.

Shaibu who fell out with the former APC national chairman during the build-up to the governorship election, made the allegation during an empowerment programme for Afemai Youths in Ogbona and Jattu, respectively.

The deputy, at the occasion, claimed that Oshiomhole at a public function at his Iyamho residence during the Yuletide declared that he was instrumental to the Supreme Court victory of Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and would do the same to upturn the popular victory of Obaseki in Edo State.

A statement endorsed by the deputy governor’s media aide, Ben Atu, said that Shaibu expressed disappointment over Oshiomhole’s vituperation on the clear victory of Obaseki, stressing that making unguarded utterances to indict the integrity of the Judiciary and to redeem his larger-than-life public image remains ridiculous.

Though he reaffirmed confidence in the Judiciary and President Muhammadu Buhari to protect the nation’s democracy and the collective will of Edo people, Shaibu urged Edo people, especially the youths to take their destiny in their hands by securing Nigeria democracy and the political future of young people.

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He further charged youths to desist from making themselves available as instruments of destruction but rather add value to their lives, reassuring that the Edo State Government is committed to assisting and collaborating with young people in the state to make Edo State great again.

“The Nigeria Judiciary is known to be amongst the best in the world, therefore, Oshiomhole’s utterance is a mere crying of a beaten baby and he must be made aware that Edo is not Imo State,” the statement read.

Shaibu warned that “Now that he has vowed to test the collective will of the good people of Edo State by attempting to subvert their will through a questionable judicial arrangement, he will obviously not to be tolerated by the managers of our Judiciary.

“The victory of Governor Godwin Obaseki is a victory for Nigeria’s democracy and it was the first election in Nigeria where all political parties came together to vote for one candidate for the overall development of the state.

“Oshiomhole desirability to create tension to destabilize the state and make it ungovernable should be resisted by the good people of Edo State.”

Reacting, Oshiomhole in a statement by his senior media aide, Victor Oshioke‎, declined to join issues with Shaibu.

“Comrade Adams Oshiomhole will not comment on a case that is in court because he has absolute respect for the sanctity of our judicial system and believes that justice will always prevail,” Oshioke‎ noted.

He added that “On his jittery vituperations, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has no comments, but wishes Nigerians all the best compliments of the season. He appeals to all Nigerians to strictly observe the protocols against the spread of Covid-19 as released by the Presidential Task Force and the various state governments.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE