Facts have emerged on why Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki has refused to endorse his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, as his preferred successor.

It was gathered that Governor Obaseki is not disposed to his successor emerging from Edo North senatorial district where his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole hails from.

Shaibu hails from same Estako extraction where Oshiomhole and the Minister-designate, Abubakar Momoh, hail from in Edo North.

Sources said Obaseki plans to balance the power tripod in the State by ensuring his successor hails from Edo Central or other parts of Edo North senatorial district.

A source named Asue Ighodalo as the likely man Governor Obaseki prefers to succeed him.

Besides the issue of power balancing, the source said Governor Obaseki does not believe Shaibu would continue with his plans and vision as spelt out in his 30-year development plans.

The source said suspicion that Shaibu may defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was confirmed when he attended the Abuja inauguration party of Oshiomhole without clearance from Obaseki.

It was gathered that Shaibu was alarmed when he was prevented from entering the Governor’s office as he was told to give prior notice before seeing the Governor.

Another source said the removal of overseeing revenue generation from the office of the Deputy Governor was an indictment to the capacity of Shaibu to handle affairs of the state.

Speaking on the suit filed by Shaibu seeking court’s protection over an alleged impeachment plot, the source said it was a ploy to drag Governor Obaseki into an open fight and allowed him (Shaibu) remained in office even after defecting to the APC.

According to the source, “Shaibu wants to force the Governor to support him at all cost but the Governor is not keying into it. He is using blackmail and has forgotten how the Governor warded off demands by the legacy PDP group to drop him in 2020.

“The Governor has put certain protocols in place that he has earlier overlooked for the sake of peace. Some of the protocols included Shaibu must informed him before storming his office and ensuring Shaibu is stopped from entering State Executive Council meetings whenever he is late. Shaibu used to come late to Exco meetings but the governor has put a stop to it.

“How can the Deputy Governor handle revenue of a State? Governor Obaseki gave him a long rope to operate but the Governor is now setting things properly.

“Shaibu has gone round the political wards in the state and set up structures without informing the governor. The Governor himself is focusing on governance and cannot sacrifice other ethnic groups like the Akokos, the Owans, the Esan, to support his Deputy who is from Estako.”

Shaibu is yet to declare his intention to run for the 2024 governorship race but his inability to get support of his boss was said to have stalled a formal declaration.

Several aides closed to Shaibu refused to speak on the issue. One of them said, ‘Oga is going ahead to contest for the governorship.’ (The Nation)

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