Deputy Governor Edo Shaibu opens up about the real reason for his fallout with Obaseki

Returning Edo Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu has revealed that he would abandon his gubernatorial ambitions if his principal, Godwin Obaseki, approached him fairly.

On the contrary, Obaseki’s alleged threats and dictatorial behaviour strengthened Shaibu’s determination to pursue his ambitions.

Shaibu, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) spoke candidly during a courtesy visit to the APC National Working Committee in Abuja, on Thursday.

He described Obaseki as a dictator and expressed feelings of betrayal despite his loyalty and sacrifices.

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Shaibu claimed he won the Edo State PDP gubernatorial primary with 381 delegates but failed to show up at the polling station. He has since been vindicated by two court rulings, declaring his delegates valid.

Shaibu stressed his commitment to internal democracy and his ambition to improve the country, stating that he would support other candidates if they shared his vision.

However, he said, Obaseki’s conduct led to their downfall, and he was determined to prevent dictatorship from derailing democracy in Edo State.

He said, “We are in court and by the grace of God, I have been vindicated by two verdicts. The most important thing is that I want to prove that internal democracy must be respected and allowed to run. You can lobby, you can talk to people and people will understand. If the governor had shown leadership, maybe I would not have opposed because I am not a desperate person.

“My ambition is not excessive. I am ambitious to fix the country. If there are other people who agree to fix it collectively, I will follow them. But the governor wants to act like a military dictator. And for me, we are fighting. I have led people who have fought for this democracy. I started from the youth wing. I believe I am one of the top people you will mention for the democracy that we have today. And for me, I cannot let this democracy slip and let dictatorship take over.”

Deputy Governor Edo Shaibu opens up about real reason for falling out with Obaseki first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.

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        Introduction  A free, independent, and vibrant press is one of the strongest pillars of any democratic society. It is against this background that most democratic countries  make constitutional provisions for a free press . Others even go further to enact specific laws to make affairs of governments freely available to the public. Currently, there are more than  130 countries in the world that have free press laws. They include Sweden, United States, France, South Africa and Nigeria. Nigeria did not only make  constitutional provisions in Sections 22 and 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution ( as amended) but also went ahead to enact the Freedom of Information Act  in 2011. Section 22 of the 1999  Constitution states: “ “The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media  shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter( ie Chapter II) and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people”  Section 39(1)  of same Constitution states : “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference” ..  To complement these constitutional provisions, Section 1 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) states “Notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act, law or regulation, the right of any person to access or request information, whether or not contained in any written form, which is in the custody or possession of any public official, agency or institution howsoever described, is established.” while Section  2(2), states that: “A public institution shall ensure the proper organization and maintenance of all information in its custody in a manner that facilitates public access to such information”  Primary Purpose of FOIA  According to the Act, its primary purpose is to make information about public records freely available to every Nigerian in the public interest. …

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