Some support groups of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo state on Tuesday, protested against alleged plans by the former deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, to return to the ruling party.
The protesters marched through Auchi, the local government headquarters and halted at the secretariat of the party in Auchi where they submitted a communique which contained their resolution.
Spokesperson for the protesters and a former local government chairman of Etsako West LGA, Yakubu Musa, who read the communiqué, insisted that they would do everything possible to stop Shaibu from returning to the party.
Shaibu’s planned return to the APC which he left for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not unconnected to his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly on Monday, 8 April 2024.
Shaibu’s impeachment followed the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the House to investigate misconduct allegations against Shaibu.
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Edo State governor Godwin Obaseki has since nominated Omobayo Marvellous Godwins as his deputy.
Commenting on Shaibu’s planned return, Musa argued that since the former deputy governor left the party in 2020, he had not won any election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), adding that his return would not add value to the party.
He also criticised Shaibu for his alleged role in the 2019 Edo House of Assembly crisis, where 14 elected lawmakers were not sworn in as members of the House.
Reacting to the protests, media aide to Shaibu, Musa Ebomhiana, said those protesting were sponsored.
“It is the leadership of a political party that receives people, the leadership takes their decision,” Ebomhiana said.
“It is not those that protested that will decide whether he will be received or not. Those protesters are not the ones to decide who should come into the party or not.”
