Edo 2024: I have forgiven Obaseki – Shaibu
The newly reinstated deputy governor of Edo state, Hon. Philip Shaibu, has announced that he has forgiven Governor Godwin Obaseki for marginalising him despite his sacrifices and loyalty.
Shaibu made this statement while speaking to the press after meeting with Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), at the party headquarters in Abuja.
Asked if he could ever forgive Obaseki, the deputy governor said: “You know human beings have different ways of behaving and the only perfect person is the Almighty God. Every other person who is created by God, none of us is perfect. But at the same time, God gave us a commandment like every other country’s constitution. One of the greatest commandments in the world is to love your neighbour as yourself. And if all of us can take to that commandment, there will be peace in the whole world. Because what you cannot do to yourself you will not want to do it to others.
“I used to use the word perfect relationship. But I have just discovered that there is no perfect relationship with what has happened between the governor and I.
“From my own end, I gave everything. I gave all to have him succeed because, for me, it is about the state and the state in everything. So, I gave all, up my earnings. Even to my official earnings. I forfeited lots of my official entitlements. Why? Because I didn’t want any trouble or disagreement. And the easiest way you can have disagreements could be money. Even my official entitlement, most of them I didn’t apply for.
“As small as 28 days, that is the first earning that you earn whether as a civil servant or in government, the first and second terms I didn’t have it. That is, anything that has to do with going to meet the governor, to apply for anything even personal entitlements or official entitlements, I didn’t. I confined myself to the official salary that came to me.”
Shuaibu, who returned to APC last Saturday, also faulted the state government for asking him to return the 22 official vehicles in his care. He insisted that all but one Jeep the governor bought for him in the third year of their administration belongs to him.
He said: “Recently, I saw an advert that I should return 22 vehicles. Only one vehicle in the seven and half years that the governor bought for my convoy. Only one. Every vehicle you see in my convoy, some of them, especially the Land Cruiser I used for three years with the Coat of Arms and flag as a staff car. The Prado that I used as a backup for three years was the Prado that I used as the majority leader of the Edo State House of Assembly. The Hilux that I was using in the state assembly and the one I bought when I came to the House of Representatives.
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“It was the third year of his first term that the governor eventually bought a Land Cruiser jeep. And even when they were bringing the jeep it had an accident on the way. We had to change wheels and it took two weeks for us to fix it. A new car that they were bringing to me. It took two weeks for us to fix it. And you know the convoy of a deputy governor. I never made it an issue because for me, anything that will bring trouble I was able to manage it.”
The deputy governor then harped on the need to strengthen internal party democracy to stabilise the country’s fledgling democracy.
He identified the lack of internal party democracy as the major cause of leadership crisis among politicians who always want their interests to override the wishes of the majority.
On the forthcoming Edo State governorship election, Shuaibu said the contest is for the APC candidate to win.
“The chances of APC is getting brighter and better every day. Because we are the APC that left APC to join the PDP to win in 2020. This time, we again that were the major factor that left, APC including the then state executive of APC, Local government, and ward executives moved. I can authoritatively tell you now, that the same state executives of APC that moved are back to APC.
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“It is not just about Philip Shaibu. Anslem Ojezua and others are not all happy. The Deputy state chairman of APC then, Kenneth Asekhome. They are all back. We are back. And the election is about numbers. And if the game is about numbers, APC’s numbers are increasing. PDP’s numbers are depreciating. So obviously who will win the election are those whose numbers have appreciated not those who are declining?
“I can tell you that PDP is gone in Edo State. Even those who are still in PDP like Chief Dan Orbih, affirmed that what is right must be done. Chief Dan Orbih is still in PDP. But he is not with them as far as this issue is concerned. Because he is standing for what is right.”
