DETAILS: Gov Obaseki Denies Deputy, Shaibu Access To Govt House Office

Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, on arrival for official duties on Monday was denied access to his office at the Government House in Benin, the state capital.

VerseNews reports that this comes following the lingering face-off between Shaibu and his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki.

It was reported last week that a letter said to be from the office of the Head of Service (HoS), Anthony Okungbowa, was sent to the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor directing Shuaibu to relocate to a new office situated at No 7, Dennis Osadebey Avenue, GRA, Benin City.

But on arrival at his office, Shaibu said no letter was sent to him.

“Up till now, I don’t have any official communication that I should relocate. The only people that have official communication are my civil servants. The civil servants have official communication but I don’t. As I am speaking to you now, I am standing by the gate,” he said while on a phone call to a yet-to-be-identified person.

It would be recalled last month, governor Obaseki accused his deputy of decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the governorship election in 2024.

It was alleged that members of the Edo State House of Assembly had threatened to impeach him before obtaining an injunction to stop the impeachment process.

Reacting to the allegations, Shaibu said he still loyal to his principal.

“As for the issues that are around town when I was away, I really would not want to talk. Issues that concern my governor are not things I like to speak about on camera. No, no, no! He is my elder brother and boss and I don’t think I should talk about anything.

“And if I have issues with him, I think it is better settled at home and not in the media. I am well brought up,” he said on the sidelines of a thanksgiving service in Benin to mark the 32nd anniversary of Edo State.

“I can tell you that from my Christian background if you make a vow with God that you want to do something, you must fulfill it. And the vow I have taken with God is that I will continue to support Godwin Obaseki as the governor of Edo State from the beginning to the end.

“But that does not stop anything that has to do with ambition. Ambition is personal and it does not affect loyalty. My loyalty to the governor remains absolute. I see that everybody is doing solidarity. I am also in solidarity with the governor. I am also declaring my unalloyed solidarity and loyalty to the governor and nothing more.”