The South-South chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) strongly condemns the move by members of the Edo State House of Assembly to impeach the Deputy Governor of the State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, over alleged acts of misconduct.
In a statement issued by its publicity secretary, Bishop Ante, the party described the impeachment as not only unreasonable and uncalled for but also occurring at a time when the party is pursuing reconciliations in the face of obvious divisions among the rank and file of the party in Edo State ahead of the governorship elections scheduled for 21st September 2024.
“It is a sad development and indeed a sign of the failure of the party’s leadership in Edo State to prevent internal political disagreements from snowballing into a major crisis that could jeopardize the party’s chances in the forthcoming governorship elections in the state,” the statement read.
The party acknowledged that while the impeachment of the deputy governor remains within the powers of the State House of Assembly, such powers can only be exercised in line with the laws of the land.
The statement added that the party is disturbed by the unending feud between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy Philip Shaibu, who were elected on the platform of the party to improve the lives of the people but have seemingly abandoned their duties, as evident in the current political crisis in the state.
While calling on Governor Obaseki to set aside the idea of having his deputy impeached, the party warned that such a move, particularly in the face of the obvious politically induced and unfounded allegations contained in the impeachment notice, could have damning consequences on the party’s chances of winning the forthcoming Governorship elections in the state.
It, however, commended the maturity and calmness exhibited so far by the deputy Governor in the face of provocation and charged him to continue to remain the true, loyal, and committed party man he is known to be.
The party also called on Governor Obaseki to channel his energy towards reconciling and uniting the Edo PDP family by providing the needed leadership required to win the state for the party come September.
