The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu was on Monday reportedly denied access to his office in the Government House, Benin City.
POLITICS NIGERIA learnt reports that Shaibu arrived at the Government House to find the gate leading to his office under lock and key. He was accompanied by some of his personal aides and security details.
An eyewitness said that Shaibu and his aides waited for about an hour but were not allowed to enter the office.
Shaibu made frantic calls trying to reach Governor Godwin Obaseki but to no avail. He also had discussions with the state Commissioner of Police and the state Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), alerting them of how he was locked out of his office.
However, an aide to Governor Obaseki, who pleaded anonymity, said that Shaibu was not locked out of his office because he already knew his office was relocated two weeks ago to No 7 Dennis Osadebey Avenue.
The aide said Shaibu was only out to make trouble at Government House.
“He (Shaibu) only came to make trouble. There is nothing like him being locked out of his office. His office has been relocated over two weeks ago and he himself carried the story about that,” the aide said.
“He has an office and he relocated there and sent the story out so you people should ask him why did he come to Government House today to make trouble? He was forcing himself into an office that is not his own.”
The face-off between Obaseki and Shaibu took a dramatic turn on Monday with the denial of access to the Deputy Governor’s office. It is unclear what the next step will be in this brewing political crisis.
The rift between Edo State Governor Obaseki and his deputy came to the fore two months ago when Shaibu filed a lawsuit in the Federal High Court in Abuja alleging that Obaseki was trying to prevent him from functioning in office, denying him access to exco meetings, and planning to impeach him.
