Comrade Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo State, has sharply criticized Governor Godwin Obaseki following the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) defeat in the recent governorship election.
This criticism from Shaibu follows a period of significant tension between the two leaders, which escalated when Shaibu declared his ambition to succeed Obaseki in the upcoming 2024 elections.
The situation culminated in Shaibu's impeachment in April 2024, although he was subsequently reinstated by the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 17, 2024.
Shaibu eventually switched his political allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on July 20, 2024.
However, Shaibu has since taken a swipe at his former boss, Governor Godwin Obaseki, remarking that they responded to Obaseki in the manner he once advised them to, should he ever assume the role of a political godfather.
During an interview with Arise TV regarding the outcome of the 2024 Edo governorship election, Shaibu expressed his satisfaction with the results, which saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerge victorious against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who was backed by Obaseki.
Shaibu asserted, “I feel vindicated against those who doubted my ability to win elections.”
Shaibu further clarified that he does not view Obaseki as an adversary, but he is gratified that the election results have demonstrated that Obaseki cannot achieve electoral success on his own. He noted that the outgoing governor has always depended on the support of others to secure victories in past elections.
The Deputy Governor also ridiculed Obaseki, not only for losing the governorship election but also for failing to secure a win for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his own local government area. Shaibu advised Obaseki to begin seeking forgiveness from the people of Edo State.
“I feel vindicated; even the governor couldn’t win his local government. I won my unit, ward, and local government. Where are the governor’s results? He has never won; we always assisted him. What is left now is for him to go back and start begging and apologizing to the people of Edo State, and he has a lot of them that he needs to go and apologize to,” Shaibu stated.
