The political crisis in Edo State between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu worsened at the weekend and may come to a head this week as the deputy is set to be relocated to a building outside the Government House.
On Saturday a sign appeared on a property at No. 7, Dennis Osadebey Avenue, close to the Government House showing “Deputy Governor’s office”.
Problem between the first two first citizens of the state gained prominence when Shaibu approached a Federal High Court in Abuja to stop his rumoured impeachment a few weeks ago. However, the governor and the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, denied such move.
Shaibu may have incurred the wrath of the governor following his desire to succeed his boss, who has insisted that it is the turn of Edo Central to produce the next governor of the state.
During an interdenominational service held at the Government House last Sunday, security personnel denied the deputy governor from having access to the governor, the same day he pledged allegiance to Obaseki, but said his (Shaibu) governorship aspiration was still intact.
The drama turned ugly on Monday with the state government disbanding the media team of the deputy governor after an altercation earlier in the day at a state function led Shaibu to storm out of the venue.
But in his reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Musa Ebomhiana, said the story of “relocating the deputy governor is still a rumour because there is no official communication to the deputy governor” to that effect.
The disused “new” building used to be the office of the Edo State Public Procurement Office commissioned by a former governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, on December 16, 2014. In fact, the plaque stating the commissioning date is etched by the entrance of the building.
A sign board with the inscription ‘Office of the Deputy Governor’ was placed at the entrance. Workers were seen renovating the building and the compound, while renovation was yet to commence at the security post.
One of the workers handling the renovation, who did not give his name, said the job was expected to be delivered on Monday.
He added that he didn’t know what the building was going to be used for as he had no idea about how the signpost was placed at the entrance.
The workers said, “I work for the company handling the renovation of this building. Our job is to deliver the project on Monday as agreed. I do not know how the sign board got to the entrance of the building and I don’t have an idea of what the building will be used for,” he added.
Speaking about the development, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare said, “If there is a government sign board saying so, then it must be so.”