Edo: Drama as Obaseki locks Philip Shaibu out of office

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and his deputy, Phillip Shaibu, resumed hostilities on Monday, with the governor allegedly locking him out of his office.

Multiple sources within the government house confirmed that the Deputy Governor attempted to force his way into the personal office of the Governor, along with his security aides.

The Deputy Governor was said to have arrived at the Office of the Governor on Dennis Osadebey Avenue early Monday and tried to confront the governor.

He was, however, told that the governor was not yet in the office, but he insisted on gaining access to the Governor’s personal office.

“All entreaties by the security operatives to him to kindly go back and call the governor if he wanted to see his principal were rebuffed. Instead, he kept pushing the gate, causing a scene. Observers are worried that he may physically attack the governor,” a source said.

Another source explained that the gate to the office of the Deputy Governor and the main entrance leading to the storey building was locked with chains and heavy padlocks.

“Shaibu and his aides waited for about an hour and left. He was said to have made frantic calls trying to reach the Governor but to no avail,” the source added.

Checks revealed that Shaibu had some discussions with the state Commissioner of Police and the State Director of the Department of State Services, DSS, alerting them to his plight.

He was said to have summoned the Government House Camp Commandant, Ibrahim Babatunde, and asked him why he was locked out of his office.

Babatunde reportedly claimed it was a directive from above, adding that the Chief Security Officer, CSO, of the Government House, Williams Wabba, would be in a better position to explain.

When Shaibu called Wabba, he promised to come but never showed up until the deputy governor left.