Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State says the lawsuit instituted by his deputy, Philip Shaibu, to stop impeachment moves against him is a pre-emptive action to enable him join another party while retaining his position as deputy governor.

Obaseki spoke for the first time since Shaibu filed a suit to stop an alleged move by the governor to impeach his deputy over their irreconcilable differences.

“There is no timetable yet for the Edo election, it will come later in the year. So, I believe that this action by him is just a pre-emptive move to get a court order to keep his position while he now moves to the other party to get the ticket.

“And I think it’s unfair on our party, it’s unfair on the state that we don’t need this sort of crisis and two our state is not being represented well locally and internationally. I have been getting calls from all over the world.

“It is rather sad that somebody who is part of an administration would do this to the administration he has been part of just because of his own personal ambition,” Obaseki said.

On Friday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, granted a temporary order while ruling in a motion on notice filed by Shaibu praying the court to stop the move to ease him out of office by his principal.

In the ruling, Justice Mohammed directed the parties in the suit to maintain status quo.

The order for the status quo is to be in force till the time the defendants shall show cause as directed in another ruling of the court made on July 27th, 2023.

Justice Mohammed subsequently adjourned the hearing in the matter till August 10 and ordered that the IGP, SSS, and Obaseki who were not represented in court be served with hearing notices. (Channels TV)