Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, Drags Governor Obaseki to Court

Edo state Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has dragged the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to the court over alleged obstruction of his statutory duties.

The deputy governor made the submission in an affidavit he deposed to at the Federal High Court, Abuja judicial division, on July 28, 2023.

In the sworn affidavit, Philip alleged that Governor Obaseki deliberately obstructed him from carrying out and fullfilling his responsibilities as the Deputy Governor of the state and that the action impeded the smooth conduct of his function as a deputy governor and by extention, the general state administration.

The Deputy Governor also alleged that the governor is using the police and State Security Services, to engage in a campign of harrassment, intimidation and embarrassment, all of which are directed at him, noting that the said actions are unbecoming of the highest office holder in the state.

According to the Deputy Governor, Governor Obaseki's conduct is not only deeply concerning, they also raise serious questions about governance and rule of law in the state.

“The 3rd Defendant has hatched plans to impeach me and the court needs to urgently intervene by restraining him and all the other Defendants acting in concert with him,” the Deputy Governor deposed.

Among others, the Deputy Governor wants the court to grant him an interlocutory injunction restraining the Governor, who is the third respondent in the suit, either by himself or his agents, or persons acting for and on his behalf, from harrassing, intimidating, embarrasing and preventing him from carrying out his statutory functions, including his rights to attending Executive Council Meetings.

Philip also wants the court to expeditiously, restrain the Chief Judge of the State, and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, whether by themselves or their agents or persons acting on their behalf, from initiating and or executing the Governor’s planned impeacment proceedings against him, noting that the two are acting in concert with the Governor to impeach him.

FreshNews sougth the views of the state Commissioner for Communications and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, on the allegations made in the deposed affidavit.

He did not volunteer any information on the matter at the time of filing in this report. However, an aide to the governor, who did not want to be named, explained that no one is planning any impeachment move against the Deputy Governor.

According to him, the Deputy Governor is simply attempting to brow-beat Governor Obaseki into endorsing him as the next chief executive of the state, a move the latter resisted, insisting that he would rather concentrate on governance.