IMPEACHED Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr Philip Shaibu, has said his removal by the Edo State House of Assembly would not stand the test of time, adding that the whole exercise was because of the September 21 governorship election in the state.
In a viral video released, yesterday, Shaibu stated this when he received the acting Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Emperor Jaret Tenebe, in his Abuja residence. Tenebe, who said he was on a solidarity visit, described the impeachment as a sham and urged Shaibu to use all legal means to upturn the action.
This position was barely 24 hours after some APC faithful in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo protested against a planned return of Shaibu to the APC.
Shaibu said: “We have shared a lot of things both good and bad together. I am deeply humbled and happy that even this situation has brought us together as one that we are. You are one person that I have always admired, someone that I grew up with.
“The person that separated us has also united us and that is the beauty of what has happened. I want to assure you that as we move on, just like you said, this whole thing happened between lent and Ramadan and the lessons of Lent and Ramadan are obvious. I am not ready to change my attitude, I am ready to be a friend and loyal friend and partner.
“What has happened will not change my quest to be loyal to anybody that I will work with and I will encourage anybody to be loyal to their boss. I was a loyal person and I am still loyal, the price of loyalty is success and the impeachment that has happened is because God wants to open a new chapter and I see that new chapter, the new opportunity.
“I can assure you, my chairman, I call you my chairman because you are already my chairman and I think you are also one of the reasons they hurriedly did what they did because they know what it takes for you and me to be together and they thought they could use impeachment to get me to succumb but you know that I won’t succumb.
“I am somebody that is strong-willed and when I mean something, I mean it and when I look at the whole thing, I am paying the price, I also believe that it is only the man that God impeaches that is impeached. `
“By the grace of God, I know the judiciary will do the needful because it is an impeachment that I have not been served. So, I want to assure you that my cooperation and my loyalty will remain my weapon and I will definitely be there at all times. Our next target is September 21 and by the grace of God we will get there.”
Earlier, Tenebe had assured Shaibu that he would not be abandoned, saying: “I am here to pay you this solidarity visit because I still regard you as the deputy governor of Edo State because that sham they did in the Edo State House of Assembly is a disgrace to the governor and it is an aberration to our democracy which I know that the court will not allow to stand.
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“You are somebody who stood out, the price you paid is the price of loyalty, you were loyal even to the detriment of people you started with, you paid that price.
“Today they have removed you as the deputy governor but we still regard you as the deputy governor, it is the price that you have paid to ensure that Obaseki and his semblance are rooted out of Edo State and I can tell you that we will not allow you walk alone, we are with you in spirit. You are a strong man and I am here as the chairman of APC in Edo State and I am also an Uzairue indigene where we both come from, we should be strong and I implore you to continue to pursue this matter in court and we will be with you all through and God is your strength. When one door is closed many more are opened and many are opened for you from today. That is what the detractors don’t know, be strong and we will match on together.”
Shaibu shouldn’t leave PDP, he can still be governor —Aivoji
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Philip Aivoji, has urged Shaibu to be patient with the party, saying he could still become governor of the state.
Speaking on the issues in an interview with NAN, Aivoji said that Shaibu should remain in the PDP, saying he could still become the governor of the state with perseverance and patience.
He said: “What we are concerned about is winning Edo back for PDP. The impeached deputy governor needs to be patient and hand over everything to God.
“Whatever happens, no one ever can tell, he (Shaibu) can still become the governor in future. He should not leave the party. That is my advice because it is the party that brought him up. When he became the deputy governor, millions of people could have become the deputy governor before the party picked him.
“Since this has happened, he should look for a way of mending fences to actualise his dream of becoming the governor. He can still become the governor.”
On whether or not the impeachment of Shaibu would affect the fortune of the party in the September 21 governorship election, Aivoji said he didn’t think so, saying: “If it would affect, they (the lawmakers) would not have taken that decision.”
Aivoji called on the Edo chapter of PDP to work harder and block all necessary loopholes to win the election.
