By Augustine Akhilomen

Former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Phillip Shaibu has joined the growing list of deputy governors that have been impeached from office since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

He became the 17th deputy governor to get the booth after he was sent packing a few days ago by the Edo State House of Assembly on accusations of perjury and disclosing state secrets.

Other deputy governors that have been impeached within this period include, Femi Pedro (Lagos), Iyiola Omisore (Osun), Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele (Lagos), Chris Ekpenyong (Akwa Ibom), Abiodun Aluko (Ekiti), Biodun Olujinmi (Ekiti), the late Garba Gadi (Bauchi), and Peremobowei Elebi (Bayelsa).

Others are, Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba), Jude Agbaso (Imo), Sunday Onyebuchi (Enugu), Ali Olanusi (Ondo), Eze Madumere (Imo), Simon Achuba (Kogi), Rauf Olaniyan (Oyo), and Mahdi Aliyu Gusau (Zamfara) have also been impeached.

It would be recalled that before his impeachment, Shaibu has been at loggerheads with his boss, Governor Godwin Obaseki, due to his decision to run for the 2024 Governorship race after Obaseki’s reign comes to an end. It appears Shaibu’s political ambition didn’t go down well with the governor, who apparently had other intentions in mind.

Obaseki had claimed that Shaibu was planning a “coup” to unseat him. The latter in turn accused his principal of trying to instigate the Edo State House of Assembly to impeach him.



Shaibu later contested the PDP governorship primary and declared himself a winner in a parallel election. However, businessman Asue Ighodalo was declared as the party’s flagbearer for the governorship election coming up later in the year.

With the impeachment of Shaibu on April 8, the question on the lips of political observers is what next for Shaibu and whether his impeachment will have an adverse effect on the PDP in the September 21 governorship or not, being a grassroots politician and a homeboy.

Though Shaibu has not disclosed his next political move, observers say he is likely to return to the APC, a party he left alongside Obaseki in 2020. Some are, indeed, of the opinion that he may join other parties such as Accord Party (AC), Social Development Party (SDP) and other available parties in order to pursue his political ambition. But then, does he have the financial muscle to consummate his political dream? Or is he just flash in the pan, making noise in order to be relevant?


One of the party stakeholders, Aslem Ojezua, noted that the development was not good for the party, especially as it approaches the governorship election with a divided house.


Ojezua, who was also an aspirant in the party for the governorship ticket, said Shaibu, like every other politician, has people, family members, and admirers, as well as those he patronised in the course of his political career as deputy governor.


“There is no substitute for peace, and you have seen what controversy and intransigence caused us last year. Last year’s national election was the worst election the PDP has had in Edo. PDP could not score 35 percent. Only God knows what we did to have the majority in the House of Assembly,” he said.

Even so, there are also growing fears from members of the PDP that Shaibu may possibly team up with Sen. Adams Oshiomhole in a bid to wreck PDP’s quest of retaining power in the state. Just two days ago, Shaibu received the acting Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Emperor Jaret Tenebe, in his Abuja residence. Tenebe, who said he was on a solidarity visit, described the impeachment as a sham and urged Shaibu to use all legal means to uphold the action.

Also, a political analyst, Joel Abayomi, who spoke with Thepledge stated that the impeachment of Shaibu will put the party into turmoil if not well managed before the election.

He also warned that Shaibu may decide to act as a spoiler by pitting tents with another party in order to prevent PDP from winning the election. “Yes, Shaibu has been impeached by the Edo State House of Assembly but I don’t think that is the best decision for Obaseki even though he doesn’t want him to pursue his political ambition.

“At this junction, Shaibu may be tempted to join another party since he has the grassroots support and may want to stand as a spoiler for PDP. It’s something that is achievable based on his popularity in Edo State.

“I just hope the party will immediately find a solution to resolving this crisis that is brewing if they are to win the governorship election”, Abayomi said.

On his part, the former PDP Secretary in the state, Hilary Otsu, said the impeachment will no doubt further deepen the crisis and division in the party. According to him, Shaibu has political clout and appeal for the younger generation, from the “student union generation to the comrade generation.”

Otsu words: “Party stakeholders are worried that the governor immediately went ahead to pick a Labour Party member as the deputy governor without consultations or Assembly approval for the deputy governor nominee.

“I don’t know where the governor is going with all this, and it is going to negatively impact the outcome of the September 21 governorship.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the PDP in Lagos State, Philip Aivoji has urged Shaibu to remain in the party in spite of the development, and never to consider leaving the party at all.

He said that Shaibu could still become the governor of the state with perseverance and patience. “What we are concerned about is winning Edo back for PDP. The impeached deputy governor needs to be patient and hand over everything to God.

“Whatever happens, no one ever can tell, he (Shaibu) can still become the governor in the future. He should not leave the party.

“That is my advice because it is the party that brought him up. When he became the deputy governor, there were millions of people who could have become the deputy governor before the party picked him.

“Since this has happened, he should look for a way of mending fences to actualise his dream of becoming the governor. He can still become the governor,” he said.

It is yet to be seen if Shaibu will take that bold step of cross carpeting to another party in a bid to actualise his long term political ambition of governing Edo State. Or, will he succumb to the forces within PDP and work for the interest of the party? Only time will tell.

For now, the odds are against him. It will be difficult for him to get the ticket of a formidable party that can favourably compete with the big three, which are APC, PDP and LP. And it’s increasingly becoming difficult for APC leaders, the party he dumped to join PDP, to trust him. Shaibu therefore has few options before him as he faces a bumpy political future. He however has a few days to take a decision on his political future, which from all indications do not look good.