Untold Details Of The Obaseki Shaibu War In Edo

The relationship between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, has deteriorated in recent times into an open battle. OSAGIE OTABOR traces the genesis of the disagreement between the two former allies in Edo politics

The pairing of Godwin Obaseki as governor and Philip Shaibu as his deputy was a combination that was doomed to fail. Today, those who predicted it have been proven right. The relationship between the Edo State governor and his deputy has broken down ahead of next year’s governorship election in the Southsouth state. Shaibu might eventually be impeached before 2024, according to reliable sources. The sources said former Governor Adams Oshiomhole was probably more concerned about winning the 2016 governorship election when he paired both of them. They told our reporter that they had foreknowledge that the pairing of Obaseki and Shaibu was incompatible.

This is not farfetched. Obaseki and Shaibu are from different backgrounds hence the battle was expected at some time in the future. They served in the administration of former Governor Oshiomhole in different circumstances. Obaseki, a technocrat, was the head of the economic team. He was later referred to as the ‘software’ that powered the successes of Oshiomhole as governor. Shaibu, on the other hand, was a former president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and a lawmaker. As a member of the Edo State House of Assembly, he ensured a smooth relationship between his colleagues in the legislative chamber and the executive arm of government.

Shaibu was a key ally of former Governor Oshiomhole; he assisted the latter to fight against the then formidable Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers who refused to pass the 2009 budget. The budget was eventually negotiated with the late Chief Tony Anenih who was then godfather of Edo politics, after many projects were tinkered with. It was in February 2010 that Shaibu and other lawmakers elected on the platform of the then-ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN fought and drove out their PDP counterparts. Though he was a member of the Edo State House of Assembly, Shaibu was widely regarded as the de facto deputy governor to Oshiomhole.

He had already won his election to represent his constituency at the House of Representatives in 2015 when he was nominated by Oshiomhole to be the running mate to Obaseki in the 2016 governorship election.

The nomination of Shaibu, the political ‘son’ of Oshiomhole as deputy to Obaseki was perceived by many as a ploy by the then-outgoing governor to have a firm grip on the administration of Obaseki. The first signal that the relationship was doomed to fail reared its head in 2017 when Governor Obaseki was to present his first budget. Shaibu was said to have refused to be present at the budget presentation because he was not carried along in the preparation of the budget and was not conversant with its full content. It was said that Oshiomhole had to intervene before he agreed.

However, it was the preparation for the APC primary ahead of the 2019 general elections that further strengthened the relationship between Shaibu and Obaseki and pitched them in battle together against Oshiomhole who had become the party’s national chairman.

The two sides disagreed over the choice of candidates for both the National Assembly and the state assembly. Oshiomhole used his position as national chairman to substitute the names of candidates that emerged at the primaries before submitting the list to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Those who had secured the party’s ticket with the backing of both Obaseki and Shaibu were replaced, particularly for the state House of Assembly election. That singular action of Oshiomhole united Obaseki and Shaibu and it snowballed to the 2020 governorship election when the former governor denied them the party’s return ticket.

Shaibu, who pitched tent with Obaseki against his ‘father’, was vehement in his opposition to Oshiomhole’s plan to emerge the new godfather of Edo politics. When Obaseki secured the PDP ticket to run for a second term, following his humiliation out of the APC, he insisted on running with Shaibu despite pressure from the PDP leaders that he should pick a deputy from within the so-called legacy PDP.

Shaibu, regarded as a loyal deputy, was given various responsibilities. He was placed to oversee revenue generation. He was also in charge of sports and youth empowerment.

But, the outcome of the recent general elections where the PDP performed abysmally in Edo State is believed to be the beginning of the sour relationship between Obaseki and Shaibu. Party sources said it was a signal to Obaseki to take charge ahead of the governorship election.

Some top government officials who do not wish to be named said Shaibu didn’t expect the governor to turn against him. They said it was shocking for Shaibu to learn in July, through a letter from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) that ministries, including local government councils, have been directed to liaise with the Mr. Governor in matters concerning internally generated revenue, instead of the deputy governor.

A close aide to Obaseki said the governor decided to cut the excesses and powers of Shaibu ahead of the September local government elections and then the battle for the forthcoming governorship ticket. He added that the governor is also deploying other tactics, including ensuring proper protocols were observed by Shaibu. It was all calculated to frustrate Shaibu’s quest to succeed his boss. Shaibu’s supporters said Obaseki should support his deputy as payback for supporting him against Oshiomhole.

Government officials said that Obaseki had advised Shaibu to allow them to focus on governance and then focus on the succession battle at the appropriate time. They said the governor was not in support of Shaibu’s ambition to succeed him and that the decision has to do with the subsisting power rotation or zoning arrangement in the state. Edo Central is favoured to produce the next governor. So, Shaibu who is of Estako extraction from Edo North is not suitable, in the governor’s opinion, for the party’s ticket. The argument put forward was that Oshiomhole, the current lawmaker representing Edo North is of Estako extraction and that the minister-designate, Abubakar Momoh is also from that axis of the state. Besides, several persons of Estako extraction have served as either governor or deputy since 1999.

In addition, the source said Governor Obaseki does not believe Shaibu would continue with his plans and vision as spelt out in his 30-year development plan for the state. A boardroom guru, Asue Ighodalo, was named as Obaseki’s choice. The plan B, according to a source, is to support a powerful politician from Edo South due to the voting population to retain power in the state.

The source said: “Shaibu wants to force the governor to support him at all costs. But the governor is not keying into it. The deputy governor is trying to blackmail his principal into submission and has probably forgotten how the governor warded off demands by the legacy PDP group to drop him in 2020.

 “The governor has put certain protocols in place that he has earlier overlooked for the sake of peace. Some of the protocols are that Shaibu must inform him before storming his office and ensuring Shaibu is stopped from entering state executive council meetings whenever he is late.

“Shaibu used to come late to exco meetings but the governor has put a stop to it. How can the deputy governor handle the revenue of a state? Obaseki gave him a long rope to operate but the governor is now insisting on things being done properly. Shaibu has gone around the political wards in the state and set up structures without informing the governor. The governor himself is focusing on governance and cannot sacrifice other ethnic groups like the Akoko, the Owan, the Esan, to support his deputy who is from Estako.”

Source: The Nation

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