THE recently reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has finally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Shaibu declared for the APC in the presence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legacy coalition members during Saturday’s meeting of the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) for the Edo governorship race.
“On behalf of the legacy group, I announce our movement to the APC. We have come to add value to the party.
“It is time to take back our state. We will not talk too much because action will speak for us. We are not afraid. We are ready to move forward,” Shaibu told the gathering.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, his Cross River counterpart, Bassey Otu, and the national chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, attended the meeting.
Also at the meeting were the APC governorship candidate in the forthcoming Edo election, Monday Okpebholo, the state’s former governor, Adams Oshiomole, and the state chairman of the APC, Jarett Tenebe.
Shaibu was received into the APC party by the National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Argungu.
He had earlier hinted during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday that might be heading to the APC.
He also accused his principal, Godwin Obaseki of denying him entry into the 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 said during the interview.
Shortly after Shaibu’s return to Benin City on Thursday, July 18, following his reinstatement by a Federal High Court in Abuja, there was pandemonium in the state which led to the death of a policeman attached to him.
Both camps have since traded blame on the incident.
Meanwhile, The ICIR reported on Saturday that Shaibu appointed a few aides to work in his office.
This followed his reinstatement by a federal high court in Abuja on Wednesday, July 17.
This was confirmed in a statement released by his media team on Saturday, July 20.
According to the statement, Shaibu appointed Musa Ebomhiana as chief press secretary (CPS) and reappointed Kingsley Ehigiamusoe as chief of staff (COS).
Shaibu also appointed seven other persons to serve in various capacities.
A Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja reinstated him three months after he was impeached by the state House of Assembly.
In his ruling, on Wednesday, July 17, the presiding judge, James Omotosho, said the impeachment was in gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution.
The Edo state government the appointments and described his actions as ‘provocative’.
In a statement on Saturday released by the State’s commissioner for information and communication, Chris Nehikhare, the government stated that it had filed a stay of execution of the FHC judgment.
The state government also called on the people of the state to ignore the appointments.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance