The recent impeachment of former Edo State deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has sparked reactions from various political figures, including the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Youth Frontier, Usman Okai Austin.
Daily Post reported that Austin’s remarks came as a response to the Assembly’s decision on Monday, which he views as a significant misstep for Shaibu’s political career. He opined that Shaibu’s ambition to succeed Governor Obaseki was ill-advised and has led to a precarious situation for his future in politics.
Austin stated, “Shaibu was wrongly advised or it’s a case of one trying to overrate himself.
“The way he and Obaseki came, he should have been allowed to end his tenure successfully with the name of deputy governor.
“The way he went about it was wrong, there is an arrangement of power rotation in Edo State which he knows, Shaibu can’t say he’s ignorant of this; he was a former state assembly member, former House of Representatives member, and now former Deputy governor.
“He’s aware that from Edo North to Edo South, their power links back to Edo Central. Edo North where he (Shaibu) hails from produced a governor for eight years which was Oshiomhole, then power went to Edo South where Obaseki hails from and it’s now going back to Edo Central.
“Meanwhile, Shaibu is agitating that the rotational policy in Edo State should be abolished to favour him.
“Edo North had eight years as governor and now they have produced a deputy governor which puts them at an advantage against other regions.
“Now, he became a deputy governor from the same place; what was expected of Shaibu was for him to have complied with the zoning arrangement that existed in Edo State by ensuring that somebody from Edo Central emerges, but having gone against that to buy form, is a problem.
“You and I know that every incumbent takes the issue of their successor more seriously than their own second term.
“APC is no longer interested in Shaibu, Oshiomhole told him to go and learn reality before talking of contesting election.
“He is no longer wanted in APC, he’s suspended in his own party, and the Labour Party is filled up in Edo State.
“He should approach the court so that they can clear him as a former Deputy governor.
“Now that he has been impeached, he does not enjoy any benefits as a former Deputy governor.
“He has to go and fight that battle now, either he was rightly or wrongly impeached but coming back to be a deputy governor may be difficult, so his political future has been mortgaged, he has messed it up. Shaibu was wrongly advised.”
The context of this political drama is rooted in the state’s tradition of power rotation, which Shaibu is accused of attempting to disrupt for his personal gain. His actions have not only led to his impeachment but also to a suspension from his party and a loss of support from significant political figures.
The unfolding events point to a complex interplay of ambition, political strategy, and adherence to traditional power structures within the state. As Shaibu faces the consequences of his impeachment, the future of his political career remains in limbo.
