Edo: I supported Obaseki governorship ambition out of respect for Oshiomhole — Shaibu

The impeached and immediate past deputy of Edo state, Philip Shaibu, has said he only supported the governorship ambition of Godwin Obaseki out of respect for Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Recall that Shaibu was impeached by the State House of Assembly, having been found guilty of revealing government secrets.

He was subsequently replaced by a 38-year-old, Marvellous Omobayo Godwin.

Shaibu however in an interview with The Punch, claimed he was reluctant to accept being Obaseki’s running mate but was begged by some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state at the time.

“I envisaged that things would end this way and that things were not going to be fine. That was why I was the last person within our group to accept Obaseki when Comrade Adams Oshiomhole put him forward.

“Out of respect for Oshiomhole, I accepted. We were also told that he was coming in with private-sector ideas and that there was likely going to be a recession which we would need Obaseki to help us battle.

“But I warned that this man was going to destroy the house, and it eventually happened.

“When I was nominated to be Obaseki’s running mate, I was not interested but people in our team like Chris Okaeben, Washington Osifo, Larry Aghedo, Andrew Momodu, and Abbas Braimoh and other young people came to talk to me to accept the offer.

“They said if I refused the offer, we (the young people) would not have a representative in the government. I accepted reluctantly but I told them that I see a fight in the future.

“The first year was full of tension but Comrade (Oshiomhole) and his former deputy, Pius Odubu, told me that the government had just started and that I had no choice.

“Comrade told me I had to be loyal to the governor and that I was at his mercy. That was when I knew something would go wrong.”

When asked how he prepared himself for impeding problem with his principal, the ex-deputy governor said; “First, I told my wife that we were not going to live in the Government House but in our private residence so that when there was a fight, I wouldn’t be told to pack my things out of the Government House because it would be disgraceful.

“She asked me why I felt that way, and I told her I had a premonition that all would not be well. My wife said we should pray about it, but seven years later, what I predicted happened.

“Imagine looking for vehicles to pack our belongings out of the Government House. My office was relocated out of the Government House which was the only thing connecting the governor and me. I am happy that my office was only relocated out of the Government House.”