Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has openly mocked Governor Godwin Obaseki following the 2024 Edo State governorship election, which ended in a defeat for Obaseki’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Shaibu, in an interview with Arise TV, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the election, stating that the results vindicated him. He accused Obaseki of being ungrateful and relying on others to win elections in the past, while failing to secure victory on his own merit.
The deputy governor’s remarks come after the election results showed a victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC), a defeat that Shaibu claimed proved his long-standing point that Obaseki could not win elections independently.
Shaibu’s Comments on Obaseki
During the interview, Shaibu did not mince words. He described Governor Obaseki as a man who had always depended on the support of others to win elections. According to him, this election revealed the truth that Obaseki was incapable of winning on his own, especially since he could not even secure victory in his own local government area.
“I feel vindicated,” Shaibu said during the interview. “Even the governor couldn’t win his local government. I won my unit, ward, and local government. Where are the governor’s results? He has never won; we always assisted him.”
Shaibu, while expressing his feelings about the election, emphasized that he does not see Obaseki as his enemy. Instead, he urged the outgoing governor to take responsibility for the election defeat and start seeking forgiveness from the people of Edo State.
“What is left now is for him to go back and start begging and apologizing to the people of Edo State,” Shaibu continued. “He has a lot of them that he needs to go and apologize to.”
A Fractured Relationship
The relationship between Philip Shaibu and Godwin Obaseki has been strained for some time, and the recent election results have brought their differences into sharp focus. Shaibu had long distanced himself from Obaseki, accusing him of sidelining political allies and failing to maintain loyalty to the people who helped him rise to power.
Their political fallout began well before the election, with Shaibu publicly declaring that he would not support Obaseki’s political ambitions beyond his current term. The deputy governor had consistently stated that Obaseki’s leadership style was driving away loyal party members and alienating key stakeholders.
Obaseki, on the other hand, had accused Shaibu of disloyalty and attempting to undermine his authority as governor. The tension between the two leaders became more evident as the 2024 governorship election drew closer, with Shaibu aligning himself with the opposition APC.
Obaseki’s Defeat in His Local Government
One of the most notable outcomes of the election was Obaseki’s failure to secure victory in his own local government area. This defeat was a significant blow to the governor’s political credibility, as it showed that even in his stronghold, he could not garner enough support for the PDP.
Shaibu pointed to this as further proof that Obaseki had always relied on the influence and work of others to win elections in the past. According to the deputy governor, Obaseki’s electoral victories had been due to the efforts of those around him rather than his personal political strength.
This sentiment was echoed by some political analysts who noted that Obaseki’s political career had been marked by alliances with stronger political figures. His initial rise to power was backed by former APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, before the two fell out and Obaseki switched to the PDP to secure a second term in office.
Background on Edo Political Dynamics
The political dynamics in Edo State have always been a subject of national interest. Obaseki’s journey in politics started in the APC, where he served as a technocrat under the administration of then-Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Obaseki, with Oshiomhole’s strong backing, succeeded him as governor in 2016.
However, the relationship between Obaseki and Oshiomhole quickly soured, leading to a high-profile political battle. This culminated in Obaseki’s defection to the PDP in 2020 when Oshiomhole’s APC denied him the party’s ticket to run for a second term.
With support from PDP leaders and a coalition of forces, Obaseki won his re-election bid in 2020, defeating the APC candidate. However, Shaibu’s recent remarks suggest that even this victory was largely a result of external support rather than Obaseki’s political abilities.
