Security has been intensified at the Edo State Government House in Benin, as the reinstatement of Deputy Governor Comrade Philip Shaibu looms.
This comes in the wake of a court order reinstating him, following his recent fallout with Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The Government House in Benin’s GRA is now under heavy surveillance, with police, DSS operatives, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) present.
Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) are strategically positioned, while entry has been restricted, forcing staff, journalists, and visitors to walk through to gain access.
Addressing the situation, Ebomhiana Musa, Chief Press Secretary to Shaibu, said, “Our attention has been drawn to the effect that Edo State Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, is making plans to invade the Government House on Monday, September 30, 2024, in a bid to enforce two different court judgments, ordering his reinstatement.”
Musa extolled Shaibu’s peaceful disposition, saying, “We want to put it clearly here that, unlike Governor Godwin Obaseki, Philip Shaibu is a peace-loving man, who firmly believes in the rule of law and would not want to shed innocent blood, for whatever reason.”
He further asserted that Shaibu remains the rightful deputy governor.
“As it is today, in the eyes of the law and the eyes of the good people of Edo State, indeed, Nigerians, Philip Shaibu is the de jure and de facto Deputy Governor of Edo State. We need not fight or struggle for that which God has given us.”
Musa also took aim at the recent gubernatorial election, adding, “Obaseki and his co-travellers should accept the fact that the good people of Edo State have spoken, and his godson, Asue Ighodalo, has been roundly rejected at the governorship election of September 21, 2024.”
On the other hand, Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media Projects, had previously accused Shaibu of planning an invasion of the Government House with thugs to enforce his reinstatement, despite an appeal for a stay of execution on Justice James Omotosho’s judgment.
Osagie called for immediate action from the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, saying, “Shaibu’s plot is a clear recipe for chaos.”
In response, Shaibu’s camp firmly denied the allegations, reiterating that the deputy governor remains committed to peace and upholding the law.
