National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The rift between the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his deputy, Philip Shuaibu has continue to deepen.
Shuaibu filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop alleged plots by the state governor to remove him from office.
In court filings dated 28 July, Mr Shuaibu’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, prayed the court to restrain Mr Obaseki, the State Security Service, the Inspector General of Police, Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and the State Chief Judge, who are defendants in the suit from preventing harassing him
“from intimidating, embarrassing and preventing” Mr Shuaibu “from carrying out the functions of his office as deputy governor of Edo State, including attending the state executive council meeting.”
In a motion ex parte, he further prayed to the court for an interim injunction restraining the defendants from “initiating impeachment proceedings against” Mr Shuaibu.
In an affidavit of urgency, Mr Shuaibu accused Mr Obaseki of “preventing” him from carrying out the duties of his office as deputy governor.
He said the governor was using the SSS and police to “harass, intimidate and embarrass” him.
The deponent averred that the Speaker of the state House of Assembly and Chief Judge of the State are acting in cahoots with Mr Obaseki to remove him from office as deputy governor.
“The 3rd defendant (Mr Obaseki) has hatched plans to impeach me, and the court needs to urgently intervene in restraining him and all the other defendants acting in concert with him,” Mr Shuaibu urged the court in the affidavit.
With the governorship election due next year in Edo, Messrs Obaseki and Shuaibu appear to be locked in a succession battle.
Governor Obaseki, serving his second term, succeeded Adams Oshiomhole, now senator.
The pair, in their first term, were elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but fell out with their political godfather and former governor of the state, Mr Oshiomole.
In 2020, Messrs Obaseki and Shuaibu defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where they ran on the Party’s platform and defeated APC’s Osagie Ize-Iyamu of APC.
