Governor Godwin Obaseki has clarified his decision not to support his former deputy, Philip Shaibu, to succeed him as governor of Edo State.
Obaseki explained that the political dynamics in the state were not in favor of Shaibu taking over from him.
The Governor made this statement during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
It is worth noting that Shaibu and Obaseki had disagreements over Shaibu’s gubernatorial ambition, which ultimately led to Shaibu’s impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly for allegedly disclosing government information.
Speaking on the matter, Obaseki said, “For me, I did not understand where the ambition was coming from because it was clear that the odds were not in his favour in terms of succeeding me and I made it very clear.
“So, I could not take any risk on his ambition because I have to protect the Edo people. So, I could not take that risk on Edo people.”
Shaibu had described the development as an attack on the country’s democracy, in the wake of his impeachment.
In a social media video post, Shaibu said, “This is not just an attack on me as an individual but on the democracy that we hold dear.
“It is a dangerous descent into dictatorship and a threat to the foundation of our democracy. Let it be clear that this impeachment was hatched;
“…because of my ambition to contest the Edo State 2024 governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. An ambition that is a legal right to all citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
