The cold war between two leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki and Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu seems to have come to an abrupt end.
There were indications of this on Tuesday as the Deputy Governor announced the withdrawal of the suit he filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja against Governor Obaseki.
Shaibu had dragged the Governor, the Speaker of the State Assembly, and the Chief Judge of the State to court, asking the court to restrain them from “initiating impeachment proceedings or sanctioning any impeachment” against him though the Assembly and Governor Obaseki have denied any move to that effect.
But yesterday, a letter he signed personally wherein he authorised the withdrawal of the suit went viral on social media.
According to the Deputy Governor, his decision was due to the intervention of high-profile Nigerians and personalities in the State “whose persuasions and persons I cannot ignore.”
A part of the letter reads, “Arising from the series of meetings held with me and also with Mr Governor by well-meaning Edolites and indeed Nigerians including party leaders, traditional rulers, and my Archbishop, His Grace Most Rev Dr Augustine Akubeze, the Archbishop of Benin Archdiocese on the issues that led to my going to court on the above-named suit and with due respect to these eminent personalities and leaders whose persuasions and persons I cannot ignore, I, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu has authorised and instructed my solicitors to withdraw the suit forthwith.”
Shaibu’s interest in contesting for the governorship election in the State in 2024 is said to be one of the reasons behind the strained relationship with his principal, Governor Obaseki
Since the conflict ensued, the Deputy Governor has been subjected to various humiliations including public blockage from meeting the Governor at a public event, the sack of his media aides and the purported relocation of his office to a building close to the Government House which used to be the office of the Edo State Public Procurement Office.
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