As dust from the contest for the 2024 Edo governorship election continues to unsettle the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki, on Monday, September 25, 2023 placed a stringent condition to be met by his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu for his apology to be accepted.

Obaseki, who returned from vacation abroad over the weekend, pointedly declared that Shaibu has to withdraw and discontinue his interest in the 2024 governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Governor insisted that he would have no business to do with Shaibu whatsoever except and until he prove absolute loyalty to him, stressing that the needed proof was in his withdrawal from the governorship race.

This was as it was gathered that before arriving Nigeria from his foreign trip, Governor Obaseki directed members of the State Executive Committee with the exception of the the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu to relocate to Lagos for a two-day meeting tagged “Exco retreat with Mr. Governor”.

The invited members of the State Executive Committee were to arrive Lagos last Saturday ahead of the meeting that took place today (Monday).

This was members of the State House of Assembly had their own meeting a fortnight ago in Rwanda.

It was gathered that before the meeting, Obaseki told members of his kitchen cabinet in Lagos that for him to forgive Shaibu, he must publicly announce his withdraw from the governorship race.

It was further gathered that Governor Obaseki stated in clear terms that if Shaibu goes ahead to participate in the forthcoming primary election of the PDP, his security vote would be stopped in addition to being totally excluded from all government activities, particularly meetings of the State Executive Council.

To avoid public criticism, the governor told his handlers to fix an Exco seminar a day before the meeting to enable third parties attend, so that it would not be considered a formal but emergency exco meeting.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Alaghodaro, Asue Ighodalo, who is the Governor’s anointed candidate for next year’s governorship election, was invited to the Exco seminar in Lagos.

“It is expected that the Governor will unveil and introduce his successor to all exco members in Lagos this week” a source attending the seminar said.

It will be recalled that last week, the Deputy Governor of Edo State was locked out from his office in Government House Benin City, on the orders of the Governor.

It was this incident that made the Deputy Governor to publicly apologize to the Governor, who in the last one month had refused to communicate with him.

…Sourced from The Conclave online News