Obaseki Accuses Deputy of Coup Against Him
The governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has accused Philip Shaibu, his deputy, of being unfaithful and plotting to overthrow him and take over the state.
His statement was carried in a video posted by AIT on X, formerly Twitter, Obaseki alleged that Shuaib is desperate to take over the affairs of the state ahead of the Edo governorship election in 2024.
He said, “[Shaibu] went to Abuja and was boasting that he has connections in Abuja, that he has people in the national assembly, that they are all with the president now, that they will take care of him if he cannot get the ticket in PDP, he knows what to do.
“I kept quiet and said I thought we were together. But what struck me, and I have never said this to anybody, is that after I proclaimed the House of Assembly, we were now going to elect officers.
“He was in Abuja, he came back that day. I am the chief security officer of this state. I get any information I need. But I have the responsibility to keep quiet and use the information properly.
“My deputy called the leader in APC, telling that leader that during the elections on the next day, particularly the speaker of the house of assembly, he has five members who are loyal to him and that he would like the seven members of APC to work with his five members of PDP to produce the next speaker.”
“As far as I am concerned, that was not working in our common interest.
“Why would the deputy governor seek to have another speakership candidate outside of what the governor wants? Are we working together?
“That was when I knew we had a problem. That the deputy governor has become so desperate to take over that he would do anything, including carrying out a coup, against his governor.
“How can you say you are loyal and you will do such a thing?”
Recall that Obaseki had been sued by Shaibu in an Abuja federal high court over plots to have him impeached. He asserted that the governor has prevented him from carrying out his statutory obligations.
In response, Obaseki claimed that there were no plans to remove his deputy from office and asserted that Shaibu intended to join the APC, the ruling party.
