‘Rumour from the pit of hell,’ Edo speaker denies claim of impeachment plot against Shaibu

The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, has dismissed rumours about the planned impeachment of the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.

Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy are currently at loggerheads over irreconcilable differences.

Shaibu had earlier this month approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, to restrain the governor from going ahead with the plan to remove him from office.

Obaseki on his part accused the deputy governor of scheming to succeed him as governor in 2024.

At a recent meeting with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders from the Edo South Senatorial District in Benin City, the governor reminded Shaibu that “it’s my turn”  meaning – “Emilokan” mentality would not guarantee his success in Edo State.

The “Emilokan” slogan was coined by President Bola Tinubu before the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in June last year.

“Edo people will not accept ‘Emilokan’ as a strategy in government as they are not known for that. For us, it is the people that will decide.

READ ALSO: EDO: Shaibu accuses political jobbers of trying to ‘widen imaginary gulf’ between him and Gov Obaseki

“What has happened in the last few months is strange, and even if you have ambition, this is not the time to express it. The timetable for the election is not out. You can’t be part of a government and also be the one to destabilise the same government,” the governor stated.

The speaker, who addressed journalists when he led members of the Assembly to visit Governor Obaseki at the Government House, Benin, urged the people of the state to disregard the rumours on the purported impeachment plot by 24 lawmakers in the House.

He said: “I want to let Edo people know that the story about the impeachment of the deputy governor is just a mere rumour, as the governor has no such plan today, tomorrow, and forever. The governor does not have such a plan.

“There was no time that the governor called me, and instructed me that there must be an impeachment against Edo deputy governor. The rumour of impeachment is from the pit of hell.”

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