Obaseki decries Tinubu’s ‘Emilokan’ in Edo, says it won’t work for his Deputy

Obaseki decries Tinubu’s ‘Emilokan’ in Edo, says Shaibu should purse his ambition ‘the right way’

By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor

Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki is insisting the “Emilokan” (it is my turn) mentality invented by President Bola Tinubu will not win election in the state, a broadside he fired at Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu whom he accuses of seeking power at all costs.

“Edo people will not accept ‘Emilokan’ as a strategy in government as they are not known for that. For us, it is the people that will decide,” Obaseki reiterated when he received the leaders of Edo South Senatorial District at the Government House, Benin City.

“What has happened in the last few months is strange, and even if you have ambition, this is not the time to express it. The timetable for the election is not out. You can’t be part of a government and also be the one to destabilise the same government.

“I thought we came together and will leave together and let the people say you have done a great job, and they will now make the decision themselves. They are the ones to say that come rain or sunshine, we must continue.”

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Saying one thing, doing another

“You are telling the world one thing and yet doing another. You are loyal to your principal and yet you are in court with your principal. Everybody has the right to be ambitious but do it the right way,” Obaseki stressed, per Daily Post.

Obaseki accuses me of ‘dinning with his enemies’, says Shaibu

Shaibu has previously explained Obaseki became upset with him for refusing to jettison his ambition to contest for the governorship election under the banner of their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), according to reporting by PM News.

He said Obaseki has also insisted the only way their cordial relationship can be restored is for him to publicly renounce his interest in governorship.

Shaibu made the disclosures in papers he filed at the Abuja Federal High Court seeking protection against alleged plan by Obaseki to remove him from office.

Shaibu said Obaseki began to deny him the opportunity to function in his official capacity, including threat to withdraw his security details, immediately after he declared his run for the governorship.

According to him, on July 13, a circular emanated from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to deal with Obaseki directly in matters of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), a responsibility normally carried out through the Deputy Governor’s office.

He cited the example of meetings Obaseki held on July 17 with bankers, tech partners, EIRS, and Edo-GIS which he (Shaibu) was not allowed to attend even though he was initially invited.

“Before the appointed time at the Exco Chambers, all the named persons and bodies, including the Deputy Governor and the SSG, were all seated,” Shaibu recounted.

“The said meeting for 11:00am at the State Executive Council Chambers however never held as the 3rd defendant did not come to the Chambers for the meeting, but the attendees, except the Deputy Governor, were invited into the Governor’s Office by the Chief of Staff to Mr. Governor for discussion and dispersed from there.

“Since that day, the Office of the Deputy Governor has not been receiving any schedule of the meetings and events of the 3rd defendant, contrary to the existing practice and procedure in Government House.

“On Wednesday, 19th July, 2023 it was when briefs for the State Executive Council Meetings were forwarded to my (Personal Private Secretary) that I knew that there would be Exco meeting that day at 11:00am for the meeting at 10:00am as no schedule of Mr, Governor was sent to my office as it used to be.

“On Friday, 21st July, 2023 at about 3:45pm, I was going for an engagement outside the office when my Protocol Officer called the Chief Detail to inform him that there was going to be Security Meeting at 4:00pm as I saw Security Officers and Commanders in the Government House premises which placed me on enquiry and I got to know of it.

“On 15th June, 2023, I was informed that there was going to be a meeting in the 3rd defendant’s house to determine the leadership of the House of Assembly, but when I got to the gate of the 3rd defendant’s house, the State Security personnel informed me that I was not invited to the meeting and would not be allowed into the meeting.

“I called the 3rd defendant over eight times on the phone, but he refused to pick my calls.

“The following day, the 16th of June, 2023 when I was to go to the Governor’s Office, I met the gate between the two offices locked and on enquiry, the DSS personnel from the Governor’s Office told my DSS personnel that they were under instruction from the 3rd defendant not to allow me in or open the gate for me.

“While trying to know what happened, there was a meeting at the instance of the former Deputy Governor, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, between the 3rd defendant, myself and Chief Mike Oghiadomhe.

‘Dining with enemies’

“At the meeting the 3rd defendant alleged that the reasons for his actions were that I was dinning with his enemies and that the only way our relationship can come back to what it used to be was for me to go to the public space (media) to renounce my interest for Governorship of the state.

“In spite of the intervention of well-meaning stakeholders in Edo State, including the Oba of Benin, the 3rd defendant is hell bent on dealing with me and has vowed to use all machineries in his power to remove me from office as the Deputy Governor of Edo State.

“The 3rd defendant has been holding meetings with key actors and players in Edo State Government, including the 4th defendant (Speaker) and other members of the Edo State House of Assembly, with a view to coming up with spurious allegations against me and using unconstitutional means to remove me as the Deputy Governor of Edo State by way of illegal impeachment and use the 5th defendant to perfect their plans with the setting up of a seven man panel of inquiry.”

Shuaibu said his lawyer told him that Obaseki allegedly instigated the Inspector General of Police and the SSS and their officers “to harass, intimidate, embarrass and prevent me from attending State Executive Council Meetings and carry out my functions as the Deputy Governor of Edo State is unconstitutional.

“I have committed no constitutional infraction for the 4th and 5th defendants (Speaker and Chief Judge) to be instigated by the 3rd defendant to commence impeachment proceedings against me.

“The deliberate refusal of the 3rd defendant to involve me in the Edo State Executive Council Meetings and carry out my responsibilities as the Deputy Governor of Edo State is unconstitutional and in breach of the constitutional provisions.

“Without the intervention of the court, plans have been perfected by the 3rd defendant to deal with me as he has vowed to remove me from office through his stooges in the state by commencing impeachment proceedings against me for no justifiable reasons.”