Philip Shaibu, the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), taking along members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legacy coalition who support him.
The defection took place during the APC Edo State’s inauguration of the National Working Committee of the Edo governorship election meeting on Saturday.
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The event was attended by prominent APC figures, including former Kano State Governor and APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu.
Also in attendance were Edo State APC Chairman Jarett Tenebe, APC Governorship Candidate Senator Monday Okpebholo, and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomole.
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Shaibu was welcomed into the APC by the National Organising Secretary during the meeting.
This move comes after Shaibu accused his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, of denying him entry into Edo State.
Shaibu aired his grievances during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, stating that Governor Obaseki had instructed his aides to prevent him from entering the state.
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Shaibu, 54, emphasized his right to move freely within his state, asserting, “I am a free-born of Edo State, nobody can stop me from entering Edo State.”
‘The constitution does not allow anybody to bar me from entering Edo State, not even when I am a deputy governor. Even if I am an ordinary citizen, I should have a right. I should have freedom.”
He recalled an incident from November 2023 when he declared his intention to run for the governorship ticket under the PDP, alleging that Obaseki had threatened to destroy him.
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Describing himself as a devout Catholic, Shaibu stated that only God could destroy a man and vowed to continue his political fight through the electioneering period leading up to the September 21 governorship election.
Shaibu also accused Obaseki of orchestrating an attack in Benin City on Thursday, which he claimed was an attempt to make good on the governor’s threat.
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The attack on Shaibu and APC candidate Monday Okpebholo’s convoy resulted in the death of a police inspector, Okon, who was attached to Okpebholo. Shaibu condemned the violence and mourned the loss.
During his interview, Shaibu expressed his determination to preserve the integrity of the deputy governor’s office, accusing Obaseki of undermining it for personal gain.
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He revealed that he had not been paid for the past year and anticipated that he would not receive payment for the remaining months of his tenure.
“One of my main cardinal goals is to strengthen institutions. I am seeing the institution of the office of the deputy governor being destroyed by the governor for personal gain. That is why I am fighting to bring back the sanity of the office of the deputy governor not for my personal self. The governor has not paid me for the past year and I know he is not going to pay me for the remaining four months,” Shaibu stated.
Shaibu’s defection to the APC marks a significant shift in Edo State’s political landscape as the state prepares for the upcoming governorship election.
