How Edo 2024 Guber Is Tearing Obaseki, Shuaibu, PDP

Governor uncomfortable with deputy’s romance with Oshiomhole

The battle for who succeeds Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki during the 2024 governorship election is the reason behind the ongoing war of attrition between the Governor and his deputy, Phillip Shuaibu, as well as crisis within the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

This was disclosed to AN24 on Friday by a reliable source during an exclusive interview.

AN24 gathered that Governor Obaseki is against his deputy suceeding him in 2024 while Shuaibu is not relenting in his effort to ensure that he succeeded his boss next year.

Shuaibu’s quest to be next Governor of Edo State has made him to start building his independent structures and romancing some political gladiators, who are regarded as the “Governor’s enemy,” among who is the immediate past governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Governor Obaseki is believed to be grooming someone that will replace him from Edo South, which Shuaibu is not favourable to, based on the agreement between him and the governor during the 2020 governorship election, which made Shuaibu to stood solidly behind him and fought against his godfather, Comrade Oshiomhole.

It would be recalled that Governor Obaseki and Shuaibu, who were both elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2016 dumped the party as a result of the political battle between the Governor and Oshiomhole, who was then the APC National Chairman, and joined PDP and was re-elected.

Few months after Obaseki’s re-election, the Governor started having a running battle with some PDP leaders, particularly the PDP National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih and his group over the control of PDP structure in Edo State. During the tussle, Shuaibu threatened to leave the party but he was prevailed upon to stay.

But few months after the matter was lay to rest, Shuaibu started having another running battle with Obaseki, when it becomes clear to him that the Governor is not ready to hand over to him. And since them the relationship between them have been like that of cat and mouse.

The last stroke that broke the carmel straw between Obaseki and Shuaibu was the decision of the deputy governor to shun the swearing-in ceremony of commissioners in Edo State by Governor Obaseki. Shuaibu rather than attending the swearing in ceremony was far away in Abuja to witness the swearing in of Senator Adams Oshiomhole and the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

Governor Obaseki was displeased with Shuaibu’s action and since then he has not be in good term with his deputy.

Sensing the danger ahead, Shuaibu has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to stop the commencement of an impeachment process against him.

In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1027/2023, the Inspector General of Police; State Security Service; the Governor of Edo State; the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, and the Chief Judge of Edo State are the first, second, third, fourth and fifth defendants respectively.

Shauib is seeking an interlocutory injunction restraining the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants/Respondents or their agents from commencing an impeachment process against him.

He also prayed the court to restrain the governor of the state or other person acting on his order from harassing and preventing him from effectively discharging his duties as the deputy governor of the state.