Obaseki Gives Condition For Reconciliation With Deputy Governor, Shaibu

 Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki has given a condition for reconciliation with deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.

Obaseki said Shaibu would be reintegrated into his camp on the condition that he drops his ambition to run for the September 2024 State governorship poll.

Obaseki reportedly wants Shaibu to drop his ambition publicly or he continues to excluded from all government activities, including the state Executive Council meetings.

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It would be recalled that Obaseki and Shaibu fell out after the governor accused his deputy of disloyalty. The gubernatorial ambition is the major cause of the feud between them.

Obaseki hails from Edo South Senatorial district, while Shaibu is from Edo North.

Obaseki is rumoured to be supporting Asue Ighodalo, a lawyer and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Alaghodaro, an Annual investment drive by the state government.

Ighodalo is from Edo Central.

Shaibu has indicated his intention to partake in the Governorship election to the consternation of Obaseki.

The State Government had mid-september moved Shaibu’s office to the Government Reservation Area(GRA) in Benin City, even as it turned his Government House Office into the secretariat of the annual Alaghodaro summit.

Shaibu had last Thursday apologised to Obaseki over their political differences.

 Obaseki had reportedly held the state’s weekly Executive Council meeting/ retreat in Lagos without Shaibu, after he was sent by Obaseki to Abuja represent, in what could be seen as an apparent move to get him away from the meeting/retreat.

 Obaseki had during the retreat reportedly told members of his kitchen cabinet that should Shaibu dare to participate in the Peoples Democratic Party Governorship primaries, his security vote and participation in Government activities will be halted.

A source who spoke to the Nation said:

 “Obaseki surreptitiously sent Shaibu to represent him in two Abuja events, while he (Edo governor) went to a Lagos resort, along with his commissioners and heads of Edo Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to hold the state’s weekly exco meeting, without any prior notice to Shaibu on either the change of exco meeting’s day or venue.”

“Obaseki’s decision to send his deputy on a wild-goose chase to Abuja is connected to his (Edo governor’s) decision to ensure that his deputy could not justifiably argue that he was deliberately schemed out of the Lagos exco meeting when he was also on state assignments.

“Shaibu was deliberately not informed of any decision to hold the exco meeting on Monday, instead of the usual Wednesday or that it would be taken to Lagos.

“Notice of the meeting was kept top secret, and deliberately shielded from the deputy, to ensure that even if he managed to return to Benin City from his Abuja assignments before the end of the meeting, he would not be able to attend.

“Edo Governor does not want his deputy to be with him at the Lagos exco meeting and retreat until he is able to meet all conditions set for reconciliation, one of which is that he must publicly renounce his governorship ambition, for Obaseki to consolidate on his choice of Asue Ighodalo as his successor.”