Why I Didn’t Back Philip Shaibu To Succeed Me — Obaseki

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said he refused to back his former Deputy, Philip Shaibu, to succeed him because the odds didn’t favour him.

Obaseki said the political permutations in the South-South state did not favour Shaibu to take over as the leader of the state.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Obaseki said he could not risk backing Shaibu to succeed him because he had to protect the Edo people.

The governor added that he had to “protect the Edo people. So, I could not take that risk on Edo people.”

He 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 and Obaseki were former allies, but fell off after the former declared his intention to become the governor of the state.

The former deputy governor was later impeached by the Edo State House of Assembly for leaking government information.